THE HAPPY PRINCE

HIGH above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue ofthe Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves offine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a largered ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.

He was very much admired indeed. 'He is as beautiful as aweathercock,' remarked one of the Town Councillors who wishedto gain a reputation for having artistic tastes; 'only notquite so useful,' he added, fearing lest people should thinkhim unpractical, which he really was not.

'Why can't you be like the Happy Prince?' asked a sensiblemother of her little boy who was crying for the moon. 'TheHappy Prince never dreams of crying for anything.'

'I am glad there is some one in the world who is quitehappy,' muttered a disappointed man as he gazed at thewonderful statue.

'He looks just like an angel,' said the Charity Children asthey came out of the cathedral in their bright scarletcloaks, and their clean white pinafores.

'How do you know?' said the Mathematical Master, 'you havenever seen one.'

'Ah! but we have, in our dreams,' answered the children; andthe Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe, forhe did not approve of children dreaming.

One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. Hisfriends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he hadstayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautifulReed. He had met her early in the spring as he was flyingdown the river after a big yellow moth, and had been soattracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk toher.

'Shall I love you?' said the Swallow, who liked to come tothe point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow. So heflew round and round her, touching the water with his wings,and making silver ripples. This was his courtship, and itlasted all through the summer.

'It is a ridiculous attachment,' twittered the otherSwallows, 'she has no money, and far too many relations;' andindeed the river was quite full of Reeds. Then, when theautumn came, they all flew away.

After they had gone he felt lonely, and began to tire of hislady-love. 'She has no conversation,' he said, 'and I amafraid that she is a coquette, for she is always flirtingwith the wind.' And certainly, whenever the wind blew, theReed made the most graceful curtsies. 'I admit that she isdomestic,' he continued, 'but I love travelling, and my wife,consequently, should love travelling also.'

'Will you come away with me?' he said finally to her; but theReed shook her head, she was so attached to her home.

'You have been trifling with me,' he cried, 'I am off to thePyramids. Good-bye!' and he flew away.

All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at thecity. 'Where shall I put up?' he said; 'I hope the town hasmade preparations.'

Then he saw the statue on the tall column. 'I will put upthere,' he cried; 'it is a fine position with plenty of freshair.' So he alighted just between the feet of the HappyPrince.

'I have a golden bedroom,' he said softly to himself as helooked round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as hewas putting his head under his wing a large drop of waterfell on him. 'What a curious thing!' he cried, 'there is nota single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear andbright, and yet it is raining. The climate in the north ofEurope is really dreadful. The Reed used to like the rain,but that was merely her selfishness.'

Then another drop fell.

'What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?'he said; 'I must look for a good chimney-pot,' and hedetermined to fly away.

But before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell, and helooked up, and saw -- Ah! what did he see?

The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, andtears were running down his golden cheeks. His face was so

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beautiful in the moonlight that the little Swallow was filledwith pity.

'Who are you?' he said.

'I am the Happy Prince.'

'Why are you weeping then?' asked the Swallow; 'you havequite drenched me.'

'When I was alive and had a human heart,' answered thestatue, 'I did not know what tears were, for I lived in thepalace of Sans-Souci, where sorrow is not allowed to enter.In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden, andin the evening I led the dance in the Great Hall. Round thegarden ran a very lofty wall, but I never cared to ask whatlay beyond it, everything about me was so beautiful. Mycourtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was,if pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so I died. And nowthat I am dead they have set me up here so high that I cansee all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, andthough my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose butweep.'

'What, is he not solid gold?' said the Swallow to himself. Hewas too polite to make any personal remarks out loud.

'Far away,' continued the statue in a low musical voice, 'faraway in a little street there is a poor house. One of thewindows is open, and through it I can see a woman seated at atable. Her face is thin and worn, and she has coarse, redhands, all pricked by the needle, for she is a seamstress.She is embroidering passion-flowers on a satin gown for theloveliest of the Queen's maids-of-honour to wear at the nextCourt-ball. In a bed in the corner of the room her little boyis lying ill. He has a fever, and is asking for oranges. Hismother has nothing to give him but river water, so he iscrying. Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow, will you not bringher the ruby out of my sword-hilt? My feet are fastened tothis pedestal and I cannot move.'

'I am waited for in Egypt,' said the Swallow. 'My friends areflying up and down the Nile, and talking to the large lotus-flowers. Soon they will go to sleep in the tomb of the greatKing. The King is there himself in his painted coffin. He iswrapped in yellow linen, and embalmed with spices. Round hisneck is a chain of pale green jade, and his hands are likewithered leaves.'

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'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'willyou not stay with me for one night, and be my messenger? Theboy is so thirsty, and the mother so sad.'

'I don't think I like boys,' answered the Swallow. 'Lastsummer, when I was staying on the river, there were two rudeboys, the miller's sons, who were always throwing stones atme. They never hit me, of course; we swallows fly far toowell for that, and besides, I come of a family famous for itsagility; but still, it was a mark of disrespect.'

But the Happy Prince looked so sad that the little Swallowwas sorry. 'It is very cold here,' he said; 'but I will staywith you for one night, and be your messenger.'

'Thank you, little Swallow,' said the Prince.

So the Swallow picked out the great ruby from the Prince'ssword, and flew away with it in his beak over the roofs ofthe town.

He passed by the cathedral tower, where the white marbleangels were sculptured. He passed by the palace and heard thesound of dancing. A beautiful girl came out on the balconywith her lover. 'How wonderful the stars are,' he said toher, and how wonderful is the power of love!'

'I hope my dress will be ready in time for the State-ball,'she answered; 'I have ordered passion-flowers to beembroidered on it; but the seamstresses are so lazy.'

He passed over the river, and saw the lanterns hanging to themasts of the ships. He passed over the Ghetto, and saw theold jews bargaining with each other, and weighing out moneyin copper scales. At last he came to the poor house andlooked in. The boy was tossing feverishly on his bed, and themother had fallen asleep, she was so tired. In he hopped, andlaid the great ruby on the table beside the woman's thimble.Then he flew gently round the bed, fanning the boy's foreheadwith his wings. 'How cool I feel,' said the boy, 'I must begetting better;' and he sank into a delicious slumber.

Then the Swallow flew back to the Happy Prince, and told himwhat he had done. 'It is curious,' he remarked, 'but I feelquite warm now, although it is so cold.'

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'That is because you have done a good action,' said thePrince. And the little Swallow began to think, and then hefell asleep. Thinking always made him sleepy.

When day broke he flew down to the river and had a bath.'What a remarkable phenomenon,' said the Professor ofOrnithology as he was passing over the bridge. 'A swallow inwinter!' And he wrote a long letter about it to the localnewspaper. Every one quoted it, it was full of so many wordsthat they could not understand.

'To-night I go to Egypt,' said the Swallow, and he was inhigh spirits at the prospect. He visited all the publicmonuments, and sat a long time on top of the church steeple.Wherever he went the Sparrows chirruped, and said to eachother, 'What a distinguished stranger!' so he enjoyed himselfvery much.

When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince. 'Haveyou any commissions for Egypt?' he cried; 'I am juststarting.'

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'willyou not stay with me one night longer?'

'I am waited for in Egypt,' answered the Swallow. 'To-morrowmy friends will fly up to the Second Cataract. The river-horse couches there among the bulrushes, and on a greatgranite throne sits the God Memnon. All night long he watchesthe stars, and when the morning star shines he utters one cryof joy, and then he is silent. At noon the yellow lions comedown to the water's edge to drink. They have eyes like greenberyls, and their roar is louder than the roar of thecataract.'

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the prince, 'faraway across the city I see a young man in a garret. He isleaning over a desk covered with papers, and in a tumbler byhis side there is a bunch of withered violets. His hair isbrown and crisp, and his lips are red as a pomegranate, andhe has large and dreamy eyes. He is trying to finish a playfor the Director of the Theatre, but he is too cold to writeany more. There is no fire in the grate, and hunger has madehim faint.'

'I will wait with you one night longer,' said the Swallow,who really had a good heart. 'Shall I take him another ruby?'

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'Alas! I have no ruby now,' said the Prince; 'my eyes are allthat I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which werebrought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one ofthem and take it to him. He will sell it to the jeweller, andbuy food and firewood, and finish his play.'

'Dear Prince,' said the Swallow, 'I cannot do that;' and hebegan to weep.

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'do as Icommand you.'

So the Swallow plucked out the Prince's eye, and flew away tothe student's garret. It was easy enough to get in, as therewas a hole in the roof. Through this he darted, and came intothe room. The young man had his head buried in his hands, sohe did not hear the flutter of the bird's wings, and when helooked up he found the beautiful sapphire lying on thewithered violets.

'I am beginning to be appreciated,' he cried; 'this is fromsome great admirer. Now I can finish my play,' and he lookedquite happy.

The next day the Swallow flew down to the harbour. He sat onthe mast of a large vessel and watched the sailors haulingbig chests out of the hold with ropes. 'Heave a-hoy!' theyshouted as each chest came up. 'I am going to Egypt!' criedthe Swallow, but nobody minded, and when the moon rose heflew back to the Happy Prince.

'I am come to bid you good-bye,' he cried.

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'willyou not stay with me one night longer?'

'It is winter,' answered the Swallow, 'and the chill snowwill soon be here. In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm-trees, and the crocodiles lie in the mud and look lazilyabout them. My companions are building a nest in the Templeof Baalbec, and the pink and white doves are watching them,and cooing to each other. Dear Prince, I must leave you, butI will never forget you, and next spring I will bring youback two beautiful jewels in place of those you have givenaway. The ruby shall be redder than a red rose, and thesapphire shall be as blue as the great sea.'

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'In the square below,' said the Happy Prince, 'there stands alittle match-girl. She has let her matches fall in thegutter, and they are all spoiled. Her father will beat her ifshe does not bring home some money, and she is crying. Shehas no shoes or stockings, and her little head is bare. Pluckout my other eye, and give it to her, and her father will notbeat her.'

'I will stay with you one night longer,' said the Swallow,'but I cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blindthen.'

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'do as Icommand you.'

So he plucked out the Prince's other eye, and darted downwith it. He swooped past the match-girl, and slipped thejewel into the palm of her hand. 'What a lovely bit ofglass,' cried the little girl; and she ran home, laughing.

Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. 'You are blindnow,' he said, 'so I will stay with you always.'

'No, little Swallow,' said the poor Prince, 'you must go awayto Egypt.'

'I will stay with you always,' said the Swallow, and he sleptat the Prince's feet.

All the next day he sat on the Prince's shoulder, and toldhim stories of what he had seen in strange lands. He told himof the red ibises, who stand in long rows on the banks of theNile, and catch gold fish in their beaks; of the Sphinx, whois as old as the world itself and lives in the desert, andknows everything; of the merchants, who walk slowly by theside of their camels, and carry amber beads in their hands;of the King of the Mountains of the Moon, who is as black asebony, and worships a large crystal; of the great green snakethat sleeps in a palm-tree, and has twenty priests to feed itwith honey-cakes; and of the pygmies who sail over a big lakeon large flat leaves, and are always at war with thebutterflies.

'Dear little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'you tell me ofmarvellous things, but more marvellous than anything is thesuffering of men and of women. There is no Mystery so greatas Misery. Fly over my city, little Swallow, and tell me whatyou see there.'

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So the Swallow flew over the great city, and saw the richmaking merry in their beautiful houses, while the beggarswere sitting at the gates. He flew into dark lanes, and sawthe white faces of starving children looking out listlesslyat the black streets. Under the archway of a bridge twolittle boys were lying in one another's arms to try and keepthemselves warm. 'How hungry we are!' they said. 'You mustnot lie here,' shouted the Watchman, and they wandered outinto the rain.

Then he flew back and told the Prince what he had seen.

'I am covered with fine gold,' said the Prince, 'you musttake it off, leaf by leaf, and give it to my poor; the livingalways think that gold can make them happy.'

Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, tillthe Happy Prince looked quite dull and grey. Leaf after leafof the fine gold he brought to the poor, and the children'sfaces grew rosier, and they laughed and played games in thestreet. 'We have bread now!' they cried.

Then the snow came, and after the snow came the frost. Thestreets looked as if they were made of silver, they were sobright and glistening; long icicles like crystal daggers hungdown from the eaves of the houses, everybody went about infurs, and the little boys wore scarlet caps and skated on theice.

The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder, but he wouldnot leave the Prince, he loved him too well. He picked upcrumbs outside the baker's door where the baker was notlooking, and tried to keep himself warm by flapping hiswings.

But at last he knew that he was going to die. He had juststrength to fly up to the Prince's shoulder once more. 'Good-bye, dear Prince!' he murmured, 'will you let me kiss yourhand?'

'I am glad that you are going to Egypt at last, littleSwallow,' said the Prince, 'you have stayed too long here;but you must kiss me on the lips, for I love you.'

'It is not to Egypt that I am going,' said the Swallow. 'I amgoing to the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep,is he not?'

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And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips, and fell downdead at his feet.

At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue, asif something had broken. The fact is that the leaden hearthad snapped right in two. It certainly was a dreadfully hardfrost. Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in thesquare below in company with the Town Councillors. As theypassed the column he looked up at the statue: 'Dear me! howshabby the Happy Prince looks!' he said.

'How shabby indeed!' cried the Town Councillors, who alwaysagreed with the Mayor, and they went up to look at it.

'The ruby has fallen out of his sword, his eyes are gone, andhe is golden no longer,' said the Mayor; 'in fact, he islittle better than a beggar!'

'Little better than a beggar' said the Town councillors.

'And here is actually a dead bird at his feet!' continued theMayor. 'We must really issue a proclamation that birds arenot to be allowed to die here.' And the Town Clerk made anote of the suggestion.

So they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince. 'As he isno longer beautiful he is no longer useful,' said the ArtProfessor at the University.

Then they melted the statue in a furnace, and the Mayor helda meeting of the Corporation to decide what was to be donewith the metal. 'We must have another statue, of course,' hesaid, 'and it shall be a statue of myself.'

'Of myself,' said each of the Town Councillors, and theyquarrelled. When I last heard of them they were quarrellingstill.

'What a strange thing!' said the overseer of the workmen atthe foundry. 'This broken lead heart will not melt in thefurnace. We must throw it away.' So they threw it on a dust-heap where the dead Swallow was also lying.

'Bring me the two most precious things in the city,' said Godto one of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leadenheart and the dead bird.

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'You have rightly chosen,' said God, 'for in my garden ofParadise this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in mycity of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me.'

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THE SELFISH GIANT

EVERY afternoon, as they were coming from school, thechildren used to go and play in the Giant's garden.

It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here andthere Over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, andthere were twelve peach-trees that in the springtime brokeout into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in theautumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sangso sweetly that the children used to stop their games inorder to listen to them. How happy we are here! they cried toeach other.

One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friendthe Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years.After the seven years were over he had said all that he hadto say, for his conversation was limited, and he determinedto return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw thechildren playing in the garden.

'What are you doing there?' he cried in a very gruff voice,and the children ran away.

'My own garden is my own garden,' said the Giant; any one canunderstand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it butmyself.' So he built a high wall all round it, and put up anotice-board.

TRESPASSERSWILL BE

PROSECUTED

He was a very selfish Giant.

The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to playon the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hardstones, and they did not like it. They used to wander roundthe high wall when their lessons were over, and talk aboutthe beautiful garden inside. 'How happy we were there,' theysaid to each other.

Then the Spring came, and all over the country there werelittle blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of theSelfish Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care to

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sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot toblossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from thegrass, but when it saw the notice-board it was so sorry forthe children that it slipped back into the ground again, andwent off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were theSnow and the Frost. 'Spring has forgotten this garden,' theycried, 'so we will live here all the year round.' The Snowcovered up the grass with her great white cloak, and theFrost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited theNorth Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped infurs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew thechimney-pots down. 'This is a delightful spot,' he said, wemust ask the Hail on a visit.' So the Hail came. Every dayfor three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till hebroke most of the slates, and then he ran round and round thegarden as fast as he could go. He was dressed in grey, andhis breath was like ice.

'I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming,'said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and lookedout at his cold white garden; 'I hope there will be a changein the weather.'

But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gavegolden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant's garden shegave none. 'He is too selfish,' she said. So it was alwaysWinter there, and the North Wind and the Hail, and the Frost,and the Snow danced about through the trees.

One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heardsome lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that hethought it must be the King's musicians passing by. It wasreally only a little linnet singing outside his window, butit was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his gardenthat it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in theworld. Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head, and theNorth Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came tohim through the open easement. 'I believe the Spring has comeat last,' said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and lookedout.

What did he see?

He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in thewall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in thebranches of the trees. In every tree that he could see therewas a little child. And the trees were so glad to have thechildren back again that they had covered themselves withblossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the

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children's heads. The birds were flying about and twitteringwith delight, and the flowers were looking up through thegreen grass and laughing. It was a lovely scene, only in onecorner it was still winter. It was the farthest corner of thegarden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so smallthat he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, andhe was wandering all round it, crying bitterly. The poor treewas still quite covered with frost and snow, and the NorthWind was blowing and roaring above it. 'Climb up! littleboy,' said the Tree, and it bent its branches down as low asit could; but the boy was too tiny.

And the Giant's heart melted as he looked out. 'How selfish Ihave been!' he said; 'now I know why the Spring would notcome here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of thetree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my gardenshall be the children's playground for ever and ever.' He wasreally very sorry for what he had done.

So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quitesoftly, and went out into the garden. But when the childrensaw him they were so frightened that they all ran away, andthe garden became winter again. Only the little boy did notrun, for his eyes were so full of tears that he did not seethe Giant coming. And the Giant stole up behind him and tookhim gently in his hand, and put him up into the tree. And thetree broke at once into blossom, and the birds came and sangon it, and the little boy stretched out his two arms andflung them round the Giant's neck, and kissed him. And theother children, when they saw that the Giant was not wickedany longer, came running back, and with them came the Spring.'It is your garden now, little children,' said the Giant, andhe took a great axe and knocked down the wall. And when thepeople were going to market at twelve o'clock they found theGiant playing with the children in the most beautiful gardenthey had ever seen.

All day long they played, and in the evening they came to theGiant to bid him good-bye.

'But where is your little companion?' he said: 'the boy I putinto the tree.' The Giant loved him the best because he hadkissed him.

'We don't know,' answered the children; 'he has gone away.'

'You must tell him to be sure and come here to-morrow saidthe Giant. But the children said that they did not know where

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he lived, and had never seen him before; and the Giant feltvery sad.

Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came andplayed with the Giant. But the little boy whom the Giantloved was never seen again. The Giant was very kind to allthe children, yet he longed for his first little friend, andoften spoke of him. 'How I would like to see him!' he used tosay.

Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble. Hecould not play about any more, so he sat in a huge armchair,and watched the children at their games, and admired hisgarden. 'I have many beautiful flowers,' he said; 'but thechildren are the most beautiful flowers of all.'

One winter morning he looked out of his window as he wasdressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that itwas merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers wereresting.

Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked.It certainly was a marvellous sight. M the farthest corner ofthe garden was a tree quite covered with lovely whiteblossoms. Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hungdown from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he hadloved.

Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into thegarden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to thechild. And when he came quite close his face grew red withanger, and he said, 'Who hath dared to wound thee?' For onthe palms of the child's hands were the prints of two nails,and the prints of two nails were on the little feet.

'Who hath dared to wound thee?' cried the Giant; 'tell me,that I may take my big sword and slay him.'

'Nay!' answered the child; 'but these are the wounds ofLove.'

'Who art thou?' said the Giant, and a strange awe fell onhim, and he knelt before the little child.

And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, 'You letme play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me tomy garden, which is Paradise.'

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And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found theGiant lying dead under the tree, all covered with whiteblossoms.

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THE DEVOTED FRIEND

ONE morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole.He had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers, and histail was like a long bit of black india-rubber. The littleducks were swimming about in the pond, looking just like alot of yellow canaries, and their mother, who was pure whitewith real red legs, was trying to teach them how to stand ontheir heads in the water.

'You will never be in the best society unless you can standon your heads,' she kept saying to them; and every now andthere she showed them how it was done. But the little duckspaid no attention to her. They were so young that they didnot know what an advantage it is to be in society at all.

'What disobedient children! cried the old Water-rat; 'theyreally deserve to be drowned.'

'Nothing of the kind,' answered the Duck, 'every one mustmake a beginning, and parents cannot be too patient.'

'Ah! I know nothing about the feelings of parents,' said theWater-rat; 'I am not a family man. In fact, I have never beenmarried, and I never intend to be. Love is all very well inits way, but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know ofnothing in the world that is either nobler or rarer than adevoted friendship.'

'And what, pray, is your idea of the duties of a devotedfriend?' asked a Green Linnet, who was sitting in a willow-tree hard by, and had overheard the conversation.

'Yes, that is just what I want to know,' said the Duck, andshe swam away to the end of the pond, and stood upon herhead, in order to give her children a good example.

'What a silly question! cried the Water-rat. 'I should expectmy devoted friend to be devoted to me, of course.'

'And what would you do in return?' said the little bird,swinging upon a silver spray, and flapping his tiny wings.

'I don't understand you,' answered the Water-rat.

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'Let me tell you a story on the subject,' said the Linnet.

'Is the story about me?' asked the Water-rat. 'If so, I willlisten to it, for I am extremely fond of fiction.'

'It is applicable to you,' answered the Linnet; and he flewdown, and alighting upon the bank, he told the story of TheDevoted Friend.

'Once upon a time,' said the Linnet, 'there was an honestlittle fellow named Hans.'

'Was he very distinguished?' asked the Water-rat.

'No,' answered the Linnet, 'I don't think he wasdistinguished at all, except for his kind heart, and hisfunny round good-humoured face. He lived in a tiny cottageall by himself, and every day he worked in his garden. In allthe country-side there was no garden so lovely as his. Sweet-william grew there, and Gilly-flowers, and Shepherds'-purses,and Fair-maids of France. There were damask Roses, and yellowRoses, lilac Crocuses, and gold, purple Violets and white.Columbine and Ladysmock, Marjoram and Wild Basil, the Cowslipand the Flower-de-luce, the Daffodil and the Clove-Pinkbloomed or blossomed in their proper order as the months wentby, one flower taking another flower's place, so that therewere always beautiful things to look at, and pleasant odoursto smell.

'Little Hans had a great many friends, but the most devotedfriend of all was big Hugh the Miller. Indeed, so devoted wasthe rich Miller to little Hans, that he would never go by hisgarden without leaning over the wall and plucking a largenosegay, or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pocketswith plums and cherries if it was the fruit season.

'"Real friends should have everything in common," the Millerused to say, and little Hans nodded and smiled, and felt veryproud of having a friend with such noble ideas.

'Sometimes, indeed, the neighbours thought it strange thatthe rich Miller never gave little Hans anything in return,though he had a hundred sacks of flour stored away in hismill, and six milch cows, and a large flock of woolly sheep;but Hans never troubled his head about these things, andnothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all thewonderful things the Miller used to say about theunselfishness of true friendship.

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'So little Hans worked away in his garden. During the spring,the summer, and the autumn he was very happy, but when thewinter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to bring to themarket, he suffered a brood deal from cold and hunger andoften had to go to bed without any supper but a few driedpears or some hard nuts. In the winter, also, he wasextremely lonely, as the Miller never came to see him then.

'"There is no good in my going to see little Hans as long asthe snow lasts," the Miller used to say to his wife, "forwhen people are in trouble they should be left alone, and notbe bothered by visitors. That at least is my idea aboutfriendship, and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait tillthe spring comes, and then I shall pay him a visit, and hewill be able to give me a large basket of primroses, and thatwill make him so happy."

'"You are certainly very thoughtful about others," answeredthe Wife, as she sat in her comfortable armchair by the bigpinewood tire; 'very thoughtful indeed. It is quite a treatto hear you talk about friendship. I am sure the clergymanhimself could not say such beautiful things as you do,through he does live in a three-storied house, and wear agold ring on his little finger."

'"But could we riot ask little Hans up here?" said theMiller's youngest son. "If poor Hans is in trouble I willgive him half my porridge, and show him my white rabbits."

'"What a silly boy you are!" cried the Miller; "I reallydon't know what is the use of sending you to school. You seemnot to learn anything. Why, if little Hans came up here, andsaw our warm tire, and our good supper, and our great cask ofred wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terriblething, and would spoil anybody's nature. I certainly will notallow Hans's nature to be spoiled. I am his best friend, andI will always watch over him, and see that he is not led intoany temptations. Besides, if Hans came here, he night ask meto let him have some flour on credit, and that I could notdo. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and theyshould not be confused. Why, the words are spelt differently,and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that."

'"How well you talk!" said the Miller's Wife, pouring herselfout a large glass of warm ale; "really I feel quite drowsy.It is just like being in church."

WILDE TALES 18

'"Lots of people act well," answered the Miller; "but veryfew people talk well, which shows that talking is much themore difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thingalso;" and he looked sternly across the table at his littleson, who felt so ashamed of himself that he hung his headdown, and grew quite scarlet, and began to cry into his tea.However, he was so young that you must excuse him.'

'Is that the end of the story?' asked the Water-rat.

'Certainly not,' answered the Linnet, 'that is thebeginning.'

'Then you are quite behind the age,' said the Water-rat.

'Every good story-teller nowadays starts with the end, andthen goes on to the beginning, and concludes with the middle.That is the new method. I heard all about it the other dayfrom a critic who was walking round the pond with a youngman. He spoke of the matter at great length, and I am sure hemust have been right, for he had blue spectacles and a baldhead, and whenever the young man made any remark, he alwaysanswered "Pooh!" But pray go on with your story. I like theMiller immensely. I have all kinds of beautiful sentimentsmyself so there is a great sympathy between us.'

'Well,' said the Linnet, hopping now on one leg and now onthe other, 'as soon as the winter was over, and the primrosesbegan to open their pale yellow stars, the miller said to hiswife that he would go down and see little Hans.

'"Why, what a good heart you have!" cried his Wife; "you arealways thinking of others. And mind you take the big basketwith you for the flowers."

'So the Miller tied the sails of the windmill together with astrong iron chain, and went down the hill with the basket onhis arm.

'"Good morning, little Hans," said the Miller.

'"Good morning," said Hans, leaning on his spade, and smilingfrom ear to ear.

'"And how have you been all the winter?" said the Miller.

'"Well, really," cried Hans, "it is very good of you to ask,very good indeed. I am afraid I had rather a hard time of it,

WILDE TALES 19

but now the spring has come, and I am quite happy, and all myflowers are doing well."

'"We often talked of you during the winter, Hans," said theMiller, "and wondered how you were getting on."

'"That was kind of you," said Hans; "I was half afraid youhad forgotten me."

'"Hans, I am surprised at you," said the Miller; "friendshipnever forgets. That is the wonderful thing about it, but I amafraid you don't understand the poetry of life. How lovelyyour primroses are looking, by-the-bye!"

'"They are certainly very lovely," said Hans, "and it is amost lucky thing for me that I have so many. I am going tobring them into the market and sell them to the Burgomaster'sdaughter, and buy back my wheelbarrow with the money."

'"Buy back your wheelbarrow? You don't mean to say you havesold it? What a very stupid thing to do!"

'"Well, the fact is," said Hans, "that I was obliged to. Yousee the winter was a very bad time for me, and I really hadno money at all to buy bread with. So I first sold the silverbuttons off my Sunday coat, and then I sold my silver chain,and then I sold my big pipe, and at last I sold mywheelbarrow. But I am going to buy them all back again now."

'"Hans," said the Miller, "I will give you my wheelbarrow. Itis not in very good repair; indeed, one side is gone, andthere is something wrong with the wheel-spokes; but in spiteof that I will give it to you. I know it is very generous ofme, and a great many people would think me extremely foolishfor parting with it, but I am not like the rest of the world.I think that generosity is the essence of friendship, and,besides, I have got a new wheelbarrow for myself. Yes, youmay set your mind at ease, I will give you my wheelbarrow."

'"Well, really, that is generous of you," said little Hans,and his funny round face glowed all over with pleasure. "Ican easily put it in repair, as I have a plank of wood in thehouse."

'"A plank of wood! said the Miller; "why, that is just what Iwant for the roof of my barn. There is a very large hole init, and the corn will all get damp if I don't stop it up. Howlucky you mentioned it! It is quite remarkable how one goodaction always breeds another. I have given you my

WILDE TALES 20

wheelbarrow, and now you are going to give me your plank. Ofcourse, the wheelbarrow is worth far more than the plank, buttrue friendship never notices things like that. Pray get itat once, and I will set to work at my barn this very day."

'"Certainly,' cried little Hans, and he ran into the shed anddragged the plank out.

'"It is not a very big plank," said the Miller, looking atit, "and I am afraid that after I have mended my barn-roofthere won't be any left for you to mend the wheelbarrow with;but, of course, that is not my fault. And now, as I havegiven you my wheelbarrow, I am sure you would like to give mesome flowers in return. Here is the basket, and mind you tillit quite full."

'"Quite full? said little Hans, rather sorrowfully, for itwas really a very big basket, and he knew that if he tilledit he would have no flowers left for the market, and he wasvery anxious to get his silver buttons back.

'"Well, really," answered the Miller, "as I have given you mywheelbarrow, I don't think that it is much to ask you for afew flowers. I may be wrong, but I should have thought thatfriendship, true friendship, was quite free from selfishnessof any kind."

'"My dear friend, my best friend," cried little Hans, "youare welcome to all the flowers in my garden. I would muchsooner have your good opinion than my silver buttons, anyday;" and he ran and plucked all his pretty primroses, andtilled the Miller's basket.

'"Good-bye, little Hans," said the Miller, as he went up thehill with the plank on his shoulder, and the big basket inhis hand.

'"Good-bye," said little Hans, and he began to dig away quitemerrily, he was so pleased about the wheelbarrow.

'The next day he was nailing up some honeysuckle against theporch, when he heard the Miller's voice calling to him fromthe road. So he jumped off the ladder, and ran down thegarden, and looked over the wall.

'There was the Miller with a large sack of flour on his back.

'"Dear little Hans," said the Miller, "would you mindcarrying this sack of flour for me to market?"

WILDE TALES 21

'"Oh, I am so sorry," said Hans, "but I am really very busyto-day. I have got all my creepers to nail up, and all myflowers to water, and all my grass to roll."

'"Well, really," said the Miller, "I think that, consideringthat I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, it is ratherunfriendly of you to refuse."

'"Oh, don't say that," cried little Hans, "I wouldn't beunfriendly for the whole world;" and he ran in for his cap,and trudged off with the big sack on his shoulders.

'It was a very hot day, and the road was terribly dusty, andbefore Hans had reached the sixth milestone he was so tiredthat he had to sit down and rest. However, he went onbravely, and at last he reached the market. After he hadwaited there some time, he sold the sack of flour for a verygood price, and then he returned home at once, for he wasafraid that if he stopped too late he might meet some robberson the way.

'"It has certainly been a hard day," said little Hans tohimself as he was going to bed, "but I am glad I did notrefuse the Miller, for he is my best friend, and, besides, heis going to give me his wheelbarrow."

'Early the next morning the Miller came down to get the moneyfor his sack of flour, but little Hans was so tired that hewas still in bed.

'"Upon my word," said the Miller, "you are very lazy. Really,considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, Ithink you might work harder. Idleness is a great sin, and Icertainly don't like any of my friends to be idle orsluggish. You must riot mind my speaking quite plainly toyou. Of course I should not dream of doing so if I were riotyour friend. But what is the good of friendship if one cannotsay exactly what one means? Anybody can say charming thingsand try to please and to flatter, but a true friend alwayssays unpleasant things, and does riot mind giving pain.Indeed, if he is a really true friend he prefers it, for heknows that then he is doing good."

'"I am very sorry," said little Hans, rubbing his eyes andpulling off his night-cap, "but I was so tired that I thoughtI would lie in bed for a little time, and listen to the birdssinging. Do you know that I always work better after hearingthe birds sing?"

WILDE TALES 22

'"Well, I am glad of that," said the Miller, clapping littleHans on the back, "for I want you to come up to the mill assoon as you are dressed, and mend my barn-roof for me."

'Poor little Hans was very anxious to go and work in hisgarden, for his flowers had not been watered for two days,but he did not like to refuse the Miller, as he was such agood friend to him.

'"Do you think it would be unfriendly of me if I said I wasbusy?" he inquired in a shy and timid voice.

'"Well, really," answered the Miller, "I do not think it ismuch to ask of you, considering that I am going to give youmy wheelbarrow; but of course if you refuse I will go and doit myself."

'"Oh! on no account," cried little Hans; and he jumped out ofbed, and dressed himself and went up to the barn.

'He worked there all day long, till sunset, and at sunset theMiller came to see how he was getting on.

'"Have you mended the hole in the roof yet, little Hans?"cried the Miller in a cheery voice.

'"It is quite mended," answered little Hans, coming down theladder.

'"Ah!" said the Miller, "there is no work so delightful asthe work one does for others."

'"It is certainly a great privilege to hear you talk,"answered little Hans, sitting down and wiping his forehead,"a very great privilege. But I am afraid I shall never havesuch beautiful ideas as you have."

'"Oh! they will come to you," said the Miller, "but you musttake more pains. At present you have only the practice offriendship; some day you will have the theory also."

'"Do you really think I shall?" asked little Hans.

'"I have no doubt of it," answered the Miller; "but now thatyou have mended the roof you had better go home and rest, forI want you to drive my sheep to the mountain to-morrow."

WILDE TALES 23

'Poor little Hans was afraid to say anything to this, andearly the next morning the Miller brought his sheep round tothe cottage, and Hans started off with them to the mountain.It took him the whole day to get there and back; and when hereturned he was so tired that he went off to sleep in hischair, and did not wake up till it was broad daylight.

'"What a delightful time I shall have in my garden," he said,and he went to work at once.

'But somehow he was never able to look after his flowers atall, for his friend the Miller was always coming round andsending him off on long errands, or getting him to help atthe mill. Little Hans was very much distressed at times, ashe was afraid his flowers would think he had forgotten them,but he consoled himself by the reflection that the Miller washis best friend. "Besides," he used to say, "he is going togive me his wheelbarrow, and that is an act of puregenerosity."

'So little Hans worked away for the Miller, and the Millersaid all kinds of beautiful things about friendship, whichHans took down in a note-book, and used to read over atnight, for he was a very good scholar.

'Now it happened that one evening little Hans was sitting byhis fireside when a loud rap came at the door. It was a verywild right, and the wind was blowing and roaring round thehouse so terribly that at first he thought it was merely thestorm. But a second rap came, and then a third, louder thaneither of the others.

'"It is some poor traveller," said little Hans to himself andhe ran to the door.

'There stood the Miller with a lantern in one hand and a bigstick in the other.

'"Dear little Hans," cried the Miller, "I am in greattrouble. My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurthimself and I am going for the Doctor. But he lives so faraway, and it is such a bad night, that it has just occurredto me that it would be much better if you went instead of me.You know I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, and so it isonly fair that you should do something for me in return."

'"Certainly," cried little Hans, "I take it quite as acompliment your coming to me, and I will start off at once.

WILDE TALES 24

But you must lend me your lantern, as the night is so darkthat I am afraid I might fall into the ditch."

'"I am very sorry," answered the Miller, "but it is my newlantern, and it would be a great loss to me if anythinghappened to it."

'"Well, never mind, I will do without it," cried little Hans,and he took down his great fur coat, and tied a muffler roundhis throat, and started off.

'What a dreadful storm it was! The night was so black thatlittle Hans could hardly see, and the wind was so strong thathe could scarcely stand. However, he was very courageous, andafter he had been walking about three hours, he arrived atthe Doctor's house, and knocked at the door. "'Who is there?"cried the Doctor, putting his head out of his bedroom window.

'"Little Hans, Doctor."

'"What do you want, little Hans?"

'"The Miller's son has fallen from a ladder, and has hurthimself and the Miller wants you to come at once."

'"All right! said the Doctor; and he ordered his horse, andhis big boots, and his lantern, and came downstairs, and rodeoff in the direction of the Miller's house, little Hanstrudging behind him.

'But the storm grew worse and worse, and the rain fell intorrents, and little Hans could riot see where he was going,or keep up with the horse. At last he lost his way, andwandered off on the moor, which was a very dangerous place,as it was full of deep holes, and there poor little Hans wasdrowned. His body was found the next day by some goatherds,floating in a great pool of water, and was brought back bythem to the cottage.

'Everybody went to little Hans's funeral, as he was sopopular, and the Miller was the chief mourner.

'"As I was his best friend," said the Miller, "it is onlyfair that I should have the best place;" so he walked at thehead of the procession in a long black cloak, and every nowand then he wiped his eyes with a big pocket-handkerchief.

'"Little Hans is certainly a great loss to every one," saidthe Blacksmith, when the funeral was over, and they were all

WILDE TALES 25

seated comfortably in the inn, drinking spiced wine andeating sweet cakes.

'"A great loss to me at any rate," answered the Miller; "why,I had as good as given him my wheelbarrow, and now I reallydon't know what to do with it. It is very much in my way athome, and it is in such bad repair that I could not getanything for it if I sold it. I will certainly take care notto give away anything again. One always suffers for beinggenerous."'

'Well?' said the Water-rat, after a long pause.

'Well, that is the end,' said the Linnet.

'But what became of the Miller?' asked the Water-rat.

'Oh! I really don't know,' replied the Linnet; 'and I am surethat I don't care.'

'It is quite evident then that you have no sympathy in yournature,' said the Water-rat.

'I am afraid you don't quite see the moral of the story,'remarked the Linnet.

'The what?' screamed the Water-rat.

'The moral.'

'Do you mean to say that the story has a moral?'

'Certainly,' said the Linnet.

'Well, really,' said the Water-rat, in a very angry manner,'I think you should have told me that before you began. Ifyou had done so, I certainly would not have listened to you;in fact, I should have said "Pooh," like the critic. However,I can say it now; so he shouted out 'Pooh' at the top of hisvoice, gave a whisk with his tail, and went back into hishole.

'And how do you like the Water-rat?' asked the Duck, who camepaddling up some minutes afterwards. 'He has a great manygood points, but for my own part I have a mother's feelings,and I can never look at a confirmed bachelor without thetears coming into my eyes.'

WILDE TALES 26

'I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him,' answered theLinnet. 'The fact is, that I told him a story with a moral.'

'Ah! that is always a very dangerous thing to do,' said theDuck.

And I quite agree with her.

WILDE TALES 27

THE REMARKABLE ROCKET

THE King's son was going to be married, so there were generalrejoicings. He had waited a whole year for his bride, and atlast she had arrived. She was a Russian Princess, and haddriven all the way from Finland in a sledge drawn by sixreindeer. The sledge was shaped like a great golden swan, andbetween the swan's wings lay the little Princess herself. Herlong ermine cloak reached right down to her feet, on her headwas a tiny cap of silver tissue, and she was as pale as theSnow Palace in which she had always lived. So pale was shethat as she drove through the streets all the peoplewondered. 'She is like a white rose!' they cried, and theythrew down flowers on her from the balconies.

At the gate of the Castle the Prince was waiting to receiveher. He had dreamy violet eyes, and his hair was like finegold. When he saw her he sank upon one knee, and kissed herhand.

'Your picture was beautiful,' he murmured, 'but you are morebeautiful than your picture;' and the little Princessblushed.

'She was like a white rose before,' said a young Page to hisneighbour, 'but she is like a red rose now;' and the wholeCourt was delighted.

For the next three days everybody went about saying, 'Whiterose, Red rose, Red rose, White rose;' and the King gaveorders that the Page's salary was to be doubled. As hereceived no salary at all this was not of much use to him,but it was considered a great honour, and was duly publishedin the Court Gazette.

When the three days were over the marriage was celebrated. Itwas a magnificent ceremony, and the bride and bridegroomwalked hand in hand under a canopy of purple velvetembroidered with little pearls. Then there was a StateBanquet, which lasted for five hours. The Prince and Princesssat at the top of the Great Hall and drank out of a cup ofclear crystal. Only true lovers could drink out of this cup,for if false lips touched it, it grew grey and dull andcloudy.

WILDE TALES 28

'It is quite clear that they love each other,' said thelittle Page, 'as clear as crystal!' and the King doubled hissalary a second time. 'What an honour!' cried all thecourtiers.

After the banquet there was to be a Ball. The bride andbridegroom were to dance the Rose-dance together, and theKing had promised to play the flute. He played very badly,but no one had ever dared to tell him so, because he was theKing. Indeed, he only knew two airs, and was never quitecertain which one he was playing; but it made no matter, for,whatever he did, everybody cried out, 'Charming! charming!'

The last item on the programme was a grand display offireworks, to be let off exactly at midnight. The littlePrincess had never seen a firework in her life, so the Kinghad given orders that the Royal Pyrotechnist should be inattendance on the day of her marriage.

'What are fireworks like?' she had asked the Prince, onemorning, as she was walking on the terrace.

'They are like the Aurora Borealis,' said the King, whoalways answered questions that were addressed to otherpeople, 'only much more natural. I prefer them to starsmyself, as you always know when they are going to appear, andthey are as delightful as my own flute-playing. You mustcertainly see them.'

So at the end of the King's garden a great stand had been setup, and as soon as the Royal Pyrotechnist had put everythingin its proper place, the fireworks began to talk to eachother.

'The world is certainly very beautiful,' cried a littleSquib. 'Just look at those yellow tulips. Why! if they werereal crackers they could not be lovelier. I am very glad Ihave travelled. Travel improves the mind wonderfully, anddoes away with all one's prejudices.'

'The King's garden is not the world, you foolish squib,' saida big Roman Candle; 'the world is an enormous place, and itwould take you three days to see it thoroughly.'

'Any place you love is the world to you,' exclaimed a pensiveCatharine Wheel, who had been attached to an old deal box inearly life, and prided herself on her broken heart; 'but loveis not fashionable any more, the poets have killed it.'

WILDE TALES 29

They wrote so much about it that nobody believed them, and Iam not surprised. True love suffers, and is silent. Iremember myself once -- But it is no matter now. Romance is athing of the past.

'Nonsense! said the Roman Candle, 'Romance never dies. It islike the moon, and lives for ever. The bride and bridegroom,for instance, love each other very dearly. I heard all aboutthem this morning from a brown-paper cartridge, who happenedto be staying in the same drawer as myself and knew thelatest Court news.'

But the Catharine Wheel shook her head. 'Romance is dead,Romance is dead, Romance is dead,' she murmured. She was oneof those people who think that, if you say the same thingover and over a great many times, it becomes true in the end.

Suddenly, a sharp, dry cough was heard, and they all lookedround.

It came from a tall, supercilious-looking Rocket, who wastied to the end of a long stick. He always coughed before hemade any observation, so as to attract attention.

'Ahem! ahem!' he said, and everybody listened except the poorCatharine Wheel, who was still shaking her head, andmurmuring, 'Romance is dead.'

'Order! order!' cried out a Cracker. He was something of apolitician, and had always taken a prominent part in thelocal elections, so he knew the proper Parliamentaryexpressions to use.

'Quite dead,' whispered the Catharine Wheel, and she went offto sleep.

As soon as there was perfect silence, the Rocket coughed athird time and began. He spoke with a very slow, distinctvoice, as if he was dictating his memoirs, and always lookedover the shoulder of the person to whom he was talking. Infact, he had a most distinguished manner.

'How fortunate it is for the King's son,' he remarked, 'thathe is to be married on the very day on which I am to be letoff. Really, if it had been arranged beforehand, it could nothave turned out better for him; but Princes are alwayslucky.'

WILDE TALES 30

'Dear me! said the little Squib, 'I thought it was quite theother way, and that we were to be let off in the Prince'shonour.'

'It may be so with you,' he answered; 'indeed, I have nodoubt that it is, but with me it is different. I am a veryremarkable Rocket, and come of remarkable parents. My motherwas the most celebrated Catharine Wheel of her day, and wasrenowned for her graceful dancing. When she made her greatpublic appearance she spun round nineteen times before shewent out, and each time that she did so she threw into theair seven pink stars. She was three feet and a half indiameter, and made of the very best gunpowder. My father wasa Rocket like myself, and of French extraction. He flew sohigh that the people were afraid that he would never comedown again. He did, though, for he was of a kindlydisposition, and he made a most brilliant descent in a showerof golden rain. The newspapers wrote about his performance invery flattering terms. Indeed, the Court Gazette called him atriumph of Pylotechnic art.'

'Pyrotechnic, Pyrotechnic, you mean,' said a Bengal Light; 'Iknow it is Pyrotechnic, for I saw it written on my owncanister.'

'Well, I said Pylotechnic,' answered the Rocket, in a severetone of voice, and the Bengal Light felt so crushed that hebegan at once to bully the little squibs, in order to showthat he was still a person of some importance.

'I was saying,' continued the Rocket, 'I was saying -- Whatwas I saying?'

'You were talking about yourself,' replied the Roman Candle.

'Of course; I knew I was discussing some interesting subjectwhen I was so rudely interrupted. I hate rudeness and badmanners of every kind, for I am extremely sensitive. No onein the whole world is so sensitive as I am, I am quite sureof that.'

'What is a sensitive person?' said the Cracker to the RomanCandle.

'A person who, because he has corns himself, always treads onother people's toes,' answered the Roman Candle in a lowwhisper; and the Cracker nearly exploded with laughter.

WILDE TALES 31

'Pray, what are you laughing at?' inquired the Rocket; 'I amnot laughing.'

'I am laughing because I am happy,' replied the Cracker.

'That is a very selfish reason,' said the Rocket angrily.'What right have you to be happy? You should be thinkingabout others. In fact, you should be thinking about me. I amalways thinking about myself, and I expect everybody else todo the same. That is what is called sympathy. It is abeautiful virtue, and I possess it in a high degree. Suppose,for instance, anything happened to me to-night, what amisfortune that would be for every one! The Prince andPrincess would never be happy again, their whole married lifewould be spoiled; and as for the King, I know he would notget over it. Really, when I begin to reflect on theimportance of my position, I am almost moved to tears.'

'If you want to give pleasure to others,' cried the RomanCandle, 'you had better keep yourself dry.'

'Certainly,' exclaimed the Bengal Light, who was now inbetter spirits; 'that is only common sense.'

'Common sense, indeed!' said the Rocket indignantly; 'youforget that I am very uncommon, and very remarkable. Why,anybody can have common sense, provided that they have noimagination. But I have imagination, for I never think ofthings as they really are; I always think of them as beingquite different. As for keeping myself dry, there isevidently no one here who can at all appreciate an emotionalnature. Fortunately for myself, I don't care. The only thingthat sustains one through life is the consciousness of theimmense inferiority of everybody else, and this is a feelingthat I have always cultivated. But none of you have anyhearts. Here you are laughing and making merry just as if thePrince and Princess had not just been married.'

'Well, really,' exclaimed a small Fire-balloon, 'why not? Itis a most joyful occasion, and when I soar up into the air Iintend to tell the stars all about it. You will see themtwinkle when I talk to them about the pretty bride.'

'Ah! what a trivial view of life! said the Rocket; 'but it isonly what I expected. There is nothing in you; you are hollowand empty. Why, perhaps the Prince and Princess may go tolive in a country where there is a deep river, and perhapsthey may have one only son, a little fair-haired boy with

WILDE TALES 32

violet eyes like the Prince himself, and perhaps some day hemay go out to walk with his nurse; and perhaps the nurse maygo to sleep under a great elder-tree; and perhaps the littleboy may fall into the deep river and be drowned. What aterrible misfortune! Poor people, to lose their only son! Itis really too dreadful! I shall never get over it.'

'But they have not lost their only son,' said the RomanCandle; 'no misfortune has happened to them at all.'

'I never said that they had,' replied the Rocket; 'I saidthat they might. If they had lost their only son there wouldbe no use in saying anything more about the matter. I hatepeople who cry over spilt milk. But when I think that theymight lose their only son, I certainly am very muchaffected.'

'You certainly are!' cried the Bengal Light. 'In fact, youare the most affected person I ever met.'

'You are the rudest person I ever met,' said the Rocket, 'andyou cannot understand my friendship for the Prince.'

'Why, you don't even know him,' growled the Roman Candle.

'I never said I knew him,' answered the Rocket. 'I dare saythat if I knew him I should not be his friend at all. It is avery dangerous thing to know one's friends.'

'You had really better keep yourself dry,' said the Fire-balloon. 'That is the important thing.'

'Very important for you, I have no doubt,' answered theRocket, 'but I shall weep if I choose;' and he actually burstinto real tears, which flowed down his stick like raindrops,and nearly drowned two little beetles, who were just thinkingof setting up house together, and were looking for a nice dryspot to live in.

'He must have a truly romantic nature,' said the CatharineWheel, 'for he weeps when there is nothing at all to weepabout;' and she heaved a deep sigh, and thought about thedeal box.

But the Roman Candle and the Bengal Light were quiteindignant, and kept saying, 'Humbug! humbug!' at the top oftheir voices. They were extremely practical, and wheneverthey objected to anything they called it humbug.

WILDE TALES 33

Then the moon rose like a wonderful silver shield; and thestars began to shine, and a sound of music came from thepalace.

The Prince and Princess were leading the dance. They dancedso beautifully that the tall white lilies peeped in at thewindow and watched them, and the great red poppies noddedtheir heads and beat time.

Then ten o'clock struck, and then eleven, and then twelve,and at the last stroke of midnight every one came out on theterrace, and the King sent for the Royal Pyrotechnist.

'Let the fireworks begin,' said the King; and the RoyalPyrotechnist made a low bow, and marched down to the end ofthe garden. He had six attendants with him, each of whomcarried a lighted torch at the end of a long pole.

It was certainly a magnificent display.

Whizz! Whizz! went the Catharine Wheel, as she spun round andround. Boom! Boom! went the Roman Candle. Then the Squibsdanced all over the place, and the Bengal Lights madeeverything look scarlet. 'Good-bye,' cried the Fire-balloon,as he soared away dropping tiny blue sparks. Bang! Bang!answered the Crackers, who were enjoying themselvesimmensely. Every one was a great success except theRemarkable Rocket. He was so damp with crying that he couldnot go off at all. The best thing in him was the gunpowder,and that was so wet with tears that it was of no use. All hispoor relations, to whom he would never speak, except with asneer, shot up into the sky like wonderful golden flowerswith blossoms of fire. Huzza! Huzza! cried the Court; and thelittle Princess laughed with pleasure.

'I suppose they are reserving me for some grand occasion,'said the Rocket; 'no doubt that is what it means,' and helooked more supercilious than ever.

The next day the workmen came to put everything tidy. 'Thisis evidently a deputation,' said the Rocket; 'I will receivethem with becoming dignity:' so he put his nose in the air,and began to frown severely as if he were thinking about somevery important subject. But they took no notice of him at alltill they were just going away. Then one of them caught sightof him. 'Hallo!' he cried, 'what a bad rocket!' and he threwhim over the wall into the ditch.

WILDE TALES 34

'BAD ROCKET? BAD ROCKET?' he said as he whirled through theair; 'impossible! GRAND ROCKET, that is what the man said.BAD and GRAND sound very much the same, indeed they often arethe same;' and he fell into the mud.

'It is not comfortable here,' he remarked, 'but no doubt itis some fashionable watering-place, and they have sent meaway to recruit my health. My nerves are certainly very muchshattered, and I require rest.'

Then a little Frog, with bright jewelled eyes, and a greenmottled coat, swam up to him.

'A new arrival, I see! said the Frog. 'Well, after all thereis nothing like mud. Give me rainy weather and a ditch, and Iam quite happy. Do you think it will be a wet afternoon? I amsure I hope so, but the sky is quite blue and cloudless. Whata pity!'

'Ahem! ahem!' said the Rocket, and he began to cough.

'What a delightful voice you have!' cried the Frog. 'Reallyit is quite like a croak, and croaking is of course the mostmusical sound in the world. You will hear our glee-club thisevening. We sit in the old duck-pond close by the farmer'shouse, and as soon as the moon rises we begin. It is soentrancing that everybody lies awake to listen to us. Infact, it was only yesterday that I heard the farmer's wifesay to her mother that she could not get a wink of sleep atnight on account of us. It is most gratifying to find oneselfso popular.'

'Ahem! ahem!' said the Rocket angrily. He was very muchannoyed that he could not get a word in.

'A delightful voice, certainly,' continued the Frog; 'I hopeyou will come over to the duck-pond. I am off to look for mydaughters. I have six beautiful daughters, and I am so afraidthe Pike may meet them. He is a perfect monster, and wouldhave no hesitation in breakfasting off them. Well, good-bye:I have enjoyed our conversation very much, I assure you.'

'Conversation, indeed!' said the Rocket. 'You have talked thewhole time yourself. That is not conversation.'

'Somebody must listen,' answered the Frog, 'and I like to doall the talking myself. It saves time, and preventsarguments.'

WILDE TALES 35

'But I like arguments,' said the Rocket.

'I hope not,' said the Frog complacently. 'Arguments areextremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactlythe same opinions. Good-bye a second time; I see my daughtersin the distance;' and the little Frog swam away.

'You are a very irritating person,' said the Rocket, 'andvery ill-bred. I hate people who talk about themselves, asyou do, when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do. It iswhat I call selfishness, and selfishness is a most detestablething especially to any one of my temperament, for I am wellknown for my sympathetic nature. In fact, you should takeexample by me, you could not possibly have a better model.Now that you have the chance you had better avail yourself ofit, for I am going back to Court almost immediately. I am agreat favourite at Court; in fact, the Prince and Princesswere married yesterday in my honour. Of course you knownothing of these matters, for you are a provincial.'

'There is no good talking to him,' said a Dragon-fly, who wassitting on the top of a large brown bulrush; 'no good at all,for he has gone away.'

'Well, that is his loss, not mine,' answered the Rocket. 'Iam not going to stop talking to him merely because he pays noattention. I like hearing myself talk. It is one of mygreatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all bymyself, and I am so clever that sometimes I don't understanda single word of what I am saying.'

'Then you should certainly lecture Oil Philosophy,' said theDragon-fly; and he spread a pair of lovely gauze wings andsoared away into the sky. 'How very silly of him not to stayhere!' said the Rocket. 'I am sure that he has not often gotsuch a chance of improving his mind. However, I don't care abit. Genius like mine is sure to be appreciated some day;'and he sank down a little deeper into the mud.

After some time a large White Duck swam up to him. She hadyellow legs, and webbed feet, and was considered a greatbeauty on account of her waddle.

'Quack, quack, quack,' she said. 'What a curious shape youare! May I ask were you born like that, or is it the resultof an accident?'

WILDE TALES 36

'It is quite evident that you have always lived in thecountry,' answered the Rocket, 'otherwise you would know whoI am. However, I excuse your ignorance. It would be unfair toexpect other people to be as remarkable as oneself. You willno doubt be surprised to hear that I can fly up into the sky,and come down in a shower of golden rain.'

'I don't think much of that,' said the Duck, 'as I cannot seewhat use it is to any one. Now, if you could plough thefields like the ox, or draw a cart like the horse, or lookafter the sheep like the collie-dog, that would besomething.'

'My good creature,' cried the Rocket in a very haughty toneof voice, 'I see that you belong to the lower orders. Aperson of my position is never useful. We have certainaccomplishments, and that is more than sufficient. I have nosympathy myself with industry of any kind, least of all withsuch industries as you seem to recommend. Indeed, I havealways been of opinion that hard work is simply the refuge ofpeople who have nothing whatever to do.'

'Well, well,' said the Duck, who was of a very peaceabledisposition, and never quarrelled with any one, 'everybodyhas different tastes. I hope, at any rate, that you are goingto take up your residence here.'

'Oh! dear no,' cried the Rocket. 'I am merely a visitor, adistinguished visitor. The fact is that I find this placerather tedious. There is neither society here, nor solitude.In fact, it is essentially suburban. I shall probably go backto Court, for I know that I am destined to make a sensationin the world.'

'I had thoughts of entering public life once myself,'answered the Duck; 'there are so many things that needreforming. Indeed, I took the chair at a meeting some timeago, and we passed resolutions condemning everything that wedid not like. However, they did not seem to have much effect.Now I go in for domesticity and look after my family.'

'I am made for public life,' said the rocket, 'and so are allmy relations, even the humblest of them. Whenever we appearwe excite great attention. I have not actually appearedmyself, but when I do so it will be a magnificent sight. Asfor domesticity, it ages one rapidly, and distract's one mindfrom higher things.'

WILDE TALES 37

'Ah! the higher things of life, how fine they are!' said theDuck; 'and that reminds me how hungry I feel:' and she swamaway down the stream, saying 'Quack, quack, quack.'

'Come back! come back!' screamed the Rocket, 'I have a greatdeal to say to you;' but the Duck paid no attention to him.'I am glad that she has gone,' he said to himself, 'she has adecidedly middle-class mind;' and he sank a little deeperstill into the mud, and began to think about the lonelinessof genius, when suddenly two little boys in white smocks camerunning down the bank, with a kettle and some faggots.

'This must be the deputation,' said the Rocket, and he triedto look very dignified.

'Hallo!' cried one of the boys, 'look at this old stick! Iwonder how it came here;' and he picked the rocket out of theditch.

'OLD STICK!' said the Rocket, 'impossible! GOLD STICK, thatis what he said. Gold Stick is very complimentary. In fact,he mistakes me for one of the Court dignitaries!'

'Let us put it into the fire!' said the other boy, 'it willhelp to boil the kettle.'

So they piled the faggots together, and put the Rocket ontop, and lit the fire.

'This is magnificent,' cried the Rocket, 'they are going tolet me off in broad daylight, so that every one can see me.'

'We will go to sleep now,' they said, 'and when we wake upthe kettle will be boiled;' and they lay down on the grass,and shut their eyes.

The Rocket was very damp, so he took a long time to burn. Atlast, however, the fire caught him.

'Now I am going off!' he cried, and he made himself verystiff and straight. 'I know I shall go much higher than thestars, much higher than the moon, much higher than the sun.In fact, I shall go so high that--'

Fizz! Fizz! Fizz! and he went straight up into the air.

'Delightful! he cried, 'I shall go on like this for ever.What a success I am!'

WILDE TALES 38

But nobody saw him.

Then he began to feel a curious tingling sensation all overhim.

'Now I am going to explode,' he cried. 'I shall set the wholeworld on fire, and make such a noise, that nobody will talkabout anything else for a whole year.' And he certainly didexplode. Bang! Bang! Bang! went the gunpowder. There was nodoubt about it.

But nobody heard him, not even the two little boys, for theywere sound asleep.

Then all that was left of him was the stick, and this felldown on the back of a Goose who was taking a walk by the sideof the ditch.

'Good heavens!' cried the Goose. 'It is going to rainsticks;' and she rushed into the water.

'I knew I should create a great sensation,' gasped theRocket, and he went out.

WILDE TALES 39

THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE

'SHE said that she would dance with me if I brought her redroses,' cried the young Student; 'but in all my garden thereis no red rose.'

From her nest in the holm-oak tree the Nightingale heard him,and she looked out through the leaves, and wondered.

'No red rose in all my garden!' he cried, and his beautifuleyes filled with tears. 'Ah, on what little things doeshappiness depend! I have read all that the wise men havewritten, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet forwant of a red rose is my life made wretched.'

'Here at last is a true lover,' said the Nightingale. 'Nightafter night have I sung of him, though I knew him not: nightafter night have I told his story to the stars, and now I seehim. His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lipsare red as the rose of his desire; but passion has made hislace like pale Ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon hisbrow.'

'The Prince gives a ball to-morrow night,' murmured the youngStudent, 'and my love will be of the company. If I bring hera red rose she will dance with me till dawn. If I bring her ared rose, I shall hold her in my arms, and she will lean herhead upon my shoulder, and her hand will be clasped in mine.But there is no red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely,and she will pass me by. She will have no heed of me, and myheart will break.'

'Here indeed is the true lover,' said the Nightingale. 'WhatI sing of he suffers: what is joy to me, to him is pain.Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious thanemeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranatescannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the market-place. itmay not be purchased of the merchants, 'or can it be weighedout in the balance for gold.'

'The musicians will sit in their gallery,' said the youngStudent, 'and play upon their stringed instruments, and mylove will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin. Shewill dance so lightly that her feet will not touch the floor,and the courtiers in their gay dresses will throng round her.

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But with me she will not dance, for I have no red rose togive her;' and he flung himself down on the grass, and buriedhis face in his hands, and wept.

'Why is he weeping?' asked a little Green Lizard, as he ranpast him with his tail in the air.

'Why, indeed?' said a Butterfly, who was fluttering aboutafter a sunbeam.

'Why, indeed?' whispered a Daisy to his neighbour, in a soft,low voice.

'He is weeping for a red rose,' said the Nightingale.

'For a red rose!' they cried; 'how very ridiculous!' and thelittle Lizard, who was something of a cynic, laughedoutright.

But the Nightingale understood the secret of the Student'ssorrow, and she sat silent in the oak-tree, and thought aboutthe mystery of Love.

Suddenly she spread her brown wings for flight, and soaredinto the air. She passed through the grove like a shadow, andlike a shadow she sailed across the garden.

In the centre of the grass-plot was standing a beautiful Rose-tree, and when she saw it, she flew over to it, and lit upona spray.

'Give me a red rose,' she cried, 'and I will sing you mysweetest song.'

But the Tree shook its head.

'My roses are white,' it answered; 'as white as the foam ofthe sea, and whiter than the snow upon the mountain. But goto my brother who grows round the old sun-dial, and perhapshe will give you what you want.'

So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that wasgrowing round the old sun-dial.

'Give me a red rose,' she cried, 'and I will sing you mysweetest song.'

But the Tree shook its head.

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'My roses are yellow,' it answered; 'as yellow as the hair ofthe mermaiden who sits upon an amber throne, and yellowerthan the daffodil that blooms in the meadow before the mowercomes with his scythe. But go to my brother who grows beneaththe Student's window, and perhaps he will give you what youwant.'

So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that wasgrowing beneath the Student's window.

'Give me a red rose,' she cried, 'and I will sing you mysweetest song.'

But the Tree shook its head.

'My roses are red,' it answered, 'as red as the feet of thedove, and redder than the great fans of coral that wave andwave in the ocean-cavern. But the winter has chilled myveins, and the frost has nipped my buds, and the storm hasbroken my branches, and I shall have no roses at all thisyear.'

'One red rose is all I want,' cried the Nightingale, 'onlyone red rose! Is there no way by which I can get it?'

'There is a way,' answered the Tree; 'but it is so terriblethat I dare not tell it to you.'

'Tell it to me,' said the Nightingale, 'I am not afraid.'

'If you want a red rose,' said the Tree, 'you must build itout of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heart's-blood. You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn.All night long you must sing to me, and the thorn must pierceyour heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins, andbecome mine.'

'Death is a great price to pay for a red rose,' cried theNightingale, 'and Life is very dear to all. It is pleasant tosit in the green wood, and to watch the Sun in his chariot ofgold, and the Moon in her chariot of pearl. Sweet is thescent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hidein the valley, and the heather that blows on the hill. YetLove is better than Life, and what is the heart of a birdcompared to the heart of a man?'

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So she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into theair. She swept over the garden like a shadow, and like ashadow she sailed through the grove.

The young Student was still lying on the grass, where she hadleft him, and the tears were not yet dry in his beautifuleyes.

'Be happy,' cried the Nightingale, 'be happy; you shall haveyour red rose. I will build it out of music by moonlight, andstain it with my own heart's-blood. All that I ask of you inreturn is that you will be a true lover, for Love is wiserthan Philosophy, though she is wise, and mightier than Power,though he is mighty. Flame-coloured are his wings, andcoloured like flame is his body. His lips are sweet as honey,and his breath is like frankincense.'

The Student looked up from the grass, and listened, but hecould not understand what the Nightingale was saying to him,for he only knew the things that are written down in books.

But the Oak-tree understood, and felt sad, for he was veryfond of the little Nightingale who had built her nest in hisbranches.

'Sing me one last song,' he whispered; 'I shall feel verylonely when you are gone.'

So the Nightingale sang to the Oak-tree, and her voice waslike water bubbling from a silver jar.

When she had finished her song the Student got lip, andpulled a note-book and a lead-pencil out of his pocket.

'She has form,' he said to himself, as he walked away throughthe grove -- 'that cannot be denied to her; but has she gotfeeling? I am afraid not. In fact, she is like most artists;she is all style, without any sincerity. She would notsacrifice herself for others. She thinks merely of music, andeverybody knows that the arts are selfish. Still, it must beadmitted that she has some beautiful notes in her voice. Whata pity it is that they do not mean anything, or do anypractical good.' And he went into his room, and lay down onhis little pallet-bed, and began to think of his love; and,after a time, he fell asleep.

And when the Moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flewto the Rose-tree, and set her breast against the thorn. All

WILDE TALES 43

night long she sang with her breast against the thorn, andthe cold crystal Moon leaned down and listened. All nightlong she sang, and the thorn went deeper and deeper into herbreast, and her life-blood ebbed away from her.

She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy anda girl. And on the topmost spray of the Rose-tree thereblossomed a marvellous rose, petal following petal, as songfollowed song. Yale was it, at first, as the mist that hangsover the river -- pale as the feet of the morning, and silveras the wings of the dawn. As the shadow of a rose in a mirrorof silver, as the shadow of a rose in a water-pool, so wasthe rose that blossomed on the topmost spray of the Tree.

But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer againstthe thorn. 'Press closer, little Nightingale,' cried theTree, 'or the Day will come before the rose is finished.'

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, andlouder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the birth ofpassion in the soul of a man and a maid.

And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of therose, like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when hekisses the lips of the bride. But the thorn had not yetreached her heart, so the rose's heart remained white, foronly a Nightingale's heart's-blood can crimson the heart of arose.

And the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer againstthe thorn. 'Press closer, little Nightingale,' cried theTree, 'or the Day will come before the rose is finished.'

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and thethorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shotthrough her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder andwilder grew her song, for she sang of the Love that isperfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb.

And the marvellous rose became crimson, like the rose of theeastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson asa ruby was the heart.

But the Nightingale's voice grew fainter, and her littlewings began to beat, and a film came over her eyes. Fainterand fainter grew her song, and she felt something choking herin her throat.

WILDE TALES 44

Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Moon heardit, and she forgot the dawn, and lingered on in the sky. Thered rose heard it, and it trembled all over with ecstasy, andopened its petals to the cold morning air. Echo bore it toher purple cavern in the hills, and woke the sleepingshepherds from their dreams. It floated through the reeds ofthe river, and they carried its message to the sea.

'Look, look!' cried the Tree, 'the rose is finished now;' butthe Nightingale made no answer, for she was lying dead in thelong grass, with the thorn in her heart.

And at noon the Student opened his window and looked out.

'Why, what a wonderful piece of luck! he cried; 'here is ared rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my life.It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name;'and he leaned down and plucked it.

Then he put on his hat, and ran up to the Professor's housewith the rose in his hand.

The daughter of the Professor was sitting in the doorwaywinding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog was lying ather feet.

'You said that you would dance with me if I brought you a redrose,' cried the Student. Here is the reddest rose in all theworld. You will wear it to-night next your heart, and as wedance together it will tell you how I love you.'

But the girl frowned.

'I am afraid it will not go with my dress,' she answered;'and, besides, the Chamberlain's nephew has sent me some realjewels, and everybody knows that jewels cost far more thanflowers.'

'Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful,' said theStudent angrily; and he threw the rose into the street, whereit fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it.

'Ungrateful!' said the girl. 'I tell you what, you are veryrude; and, after all, who are you? Only a Student. Why, Idon't believe you have even got silver buckles to your shoesas the Chamberlain's nephew has;' and she got up from herchair and went into the house.

WILDE TALES 45

'What a silly thing Love is,' said the Student as he walkedaway. 'It is not half as useful as Logic, for it does notprove anything, and it is always telling one of things thatare not going to happen, and making one believe things thatare not true. In fact, it is quite unpractical, and, as inthis age to be practical is everything, I shall go back toPhilosophy and study Metaphysics.'

So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book,and began to read.

WILDE TALES 46

THE YOUNG KING

IT was the night before the day fixed for his coronation, andthe young King was sitting alone in his beautiful chamber.His courtiers had all taken their leave of him, bowing theirheads to the ground, according to the ceremonious usage ofthe day, and had retired to the Great Hall of the Palace, toreceive a few last lessons from the Professor of Etiquette;there being some of them who had still quite natural manners,which in a courtier is, I need hardly say, a very graveoffence.

The lad -- for he was only a lad, being but sixteen years ofage -- was not sorry at their departure, and had flunghimself back with a deep sigh of relief on the soft cushionsof his embroidered couch, lying there, wild-eyed and open-mouthed, like a brown woodland Faun, or some young animal ofthe forest newly snared by the hunters.

And, indeed, it was the hunters who had found him, comingupon him almost by chance as, bare-limbed and pipe in hand,he was following the flock of the poor goatherd who hadbrought him up, and whose son he had always fancied himselfto be. The child of the old King's only daughter by a secretmarriage with one much beneath her in station -- a stranger,some said, who, by the wonderful magic of his lute-playing,had made the young Princess love him; while others spoke ofan artist from Rimini, to whom the Princess had shown much,perhaps too much honour, and who had suddenly disappearedfrom the city, leaving his work in the Cathedral unfinished --he had been, when but a week old, stolen away from hismother's side, as she slept, and given into the charge of acommon peasant and his wife, who were without children oftheir own, and lived in a remote part of the forest, morethan a day's ride from the town. Grief, or the plague, as thecourt physician stated, or, as some suggested, a swiftItalian poison administered in a cup of spiced wine, slew,within an hour of her wakening, the white girl who had givenhim birth, and as the trusty messenger who bare the childacross his saddle-bow, stooped from his weary horse andknocked at the rude door of the goatherd's hut, the body ofthe Princess was being lowered into an open grave that hadbeen dug in a deserted churchyard, beyond the city gates, agrave where, it was said, that another body was also lying,that of a young man of marvellous and foreign beauty, whose

WILDE TALES 47

hands were tied behind him with a knotted cord, and whosebreast was stabbed with many red wounds.

Such, at least, was the story that men whispered to eachother. Certain it was that the old King, when on his death-bed, whether moved by remorse for his great sin, or merelydesiring that the kingdom should not pass away from his line,had had the lad sent for, and, in the presence of theCouncil, had acknowledged him as his heir.

And it seems that from the very first moment of hisrecognition he had shown signs of that strange passion forbeauty that was destined to have so great an influence overhis life. Those who accompanied him to the suite of rooms setapart for his service, often spoke of the cry of pleasurethat broke from his lips when he saw the delicate raiment andrich jewels that had been prepared for him, and of the almostfierce joy with which he flung aside his rough leathern tunicand coarse sheepskin cloak. He missed, indeed, at times thefine freedom of his forest life, and was always apt to chafeat the tedious Court ceremonies that occupied so much of eachday, but the wonderful palace -- Joyeuse, as they called it --of which he now found himself lord, seemed to him to be a newworld fresh-fashioned for his delight; and as soon as hecould escape from the council-board or audience-chamber, hewould run down the great staircase, with its lions of giltbronze and its steps of bright porphyry, and wander from roomto room, and from corridor to corridor, like one who wasseeking to find in beauty an anodyne from pain, a sort ofrestoration from sickness.

Upon these journeys of discovery, as he would call them --and, indeed, they were to him real voyages through amarvellous land, he would sometimes be accompanied by theslim, fair-haired Court pages, with their floating mantles,and gay fluttering ribands; but more often he would be alone,feeling through a certain quick instinct, which was almost adivination, that the secrets of art are best learned insecret, and that Beauty, like Wisdom, loves the lonelyworshipper.

Many curious stories were related about him at this period.It was said that a stout Burgomaster, who had come to delivera florid oratorical address on behalf of the citizens of thetown, had caught sight of him kneeling in real adorationbefore a great picture that had just been brought fromVenice, and that seemed to herald the worship of some newgods. On another occasion he had been missed for severalhours, and after a lengthened search had been discovered in a

WILDE TALES 48

little chamber in one of the northern turrets of the palacegazing, as one in a trance, at a Greek gem carved with thefigure of Adonis. He had been seen, so the tale ran, pressinghis warm lips to the marble brow of an antique statue thathad been discovered in the bed of the river on the occasionof the building of the stone bridge, and was inscribed withthe name of the Bithynian slave of Hadrian. He had passed awhole night in noting the effect of the moonlight on a silverimage of Endymion.

All rare and costly materials had certainly a greatfascination for him, and in his eagerness to procure them hehad sent away many merchants, some to traffic for amber withthe rough fisher-folk of the north seas, some to Egypt tolook for that curious green turquoise which is found only inthe tombs of kings, and is said to possess magicalproperties, some to Persia for silken carpets and paintedpottery, and others to India to buy gauze and stained ivory,moonstones and bracelets of jade, sandalwood and blue enameland shawls of fine wool.

But what had occupied him most was the robe he was to wear athis coronation, the robe of tissued gold, and the ruby-studded crown, and the sceptre with its rows and rings ofpearls. Indeed, it was of this that he was thinking to-night,as he lay back on his luxurious couch, watching the greatpinewood log that was burning itself out on the open hearth.The designs, which were from the hands of the most famousartists of the time, had been submitted to him many monthsbefore, and he had given orders that the artificers were totoil night and day to carry them out, and that the wholeworld was to be searched for jewels that would be worthy oftheir work. He saw himself in fancy standing at the highaltar of the cathedral in the fair raiment of a King, and asmile played and lingered about his boyish lips, and lit upwith a bright lustre his dark woodland eyes.

After some time he rose from his seat, and leaning againstthe carved penthouse of the chimney, looked round at thedimly-lit room. The walls were hung with rich tapestriesrepresenting the Triumph of Beauty. A large press, inlaidwith agate and lapis-lazuli, filled one corner, and facingthe window stood a curiously wrought cabinet with lacquerpanels of powdered and mosaiced gold, on which were placedsome delicate goblets of Venetian glass, and a cup of dark-veined onyx. Pale poppies were broidered on the silk coverletof the bed, as though they had fallen from the tired hands ofsleep, and tall reeds of fluted ivory bare up the velvetcanopy, from which great tufts of ostrich plumes sprang, like

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white foam, to the pallid silver of the fretted ceiling. Alaughing Narcissus in green bronze held a polished mirrorabove its head. On the table stood a flat bowl of amethyst.

Outside he could see the huge dome of the cathedral, loominglike a bubble over the shadowy houses, and the wearysentinels pacing up and down on the misty terrace by theriver. Far away, in an orchard, a nightingale was singing. Afaint perfume of jasmine came through the open window. Hebrushed his brown curls back from his forehead, and taking upa lute, let his fingers stray across the cords. His heavyeyelids drooped, and a strange languor came over him. Neverbefore had he felt so keenly, or with such exquisite joy, themagic and the mystery of beautiful things.

When midnight sounded from the clock-tower he touched a bell,and his pages entered and disrobed him with much ceremony,pouring rose-water over his hands, and strewing flowers onhis pillow. A few moments after that they had left the room,he fell asleep.

And as he slept he dreamed a dream, and this was his dream.He thought that he was standing in a long, low attic, amidstthe whirr and clatter of many looms. The meagre daylightpeered in through the grated windows, and showed him thegaunt figures of the weavers bending over their cases. Pale,sickly-looking children were crouched on the huge cross-beams. As the shuttles dashed through the warp they lifted upthe heavy battens, and when the shuttles stopped they let thebattens fall and pressed the threads together. Their faceswere pinched with famine, and their thin hands shook andtrembled. Some haggard women were seated at a table sewing. Ahorrible odour filled the place. The air was foul and heavy,and the walls dripped and streamed with damp.

The young King went over to one of the weavers, and stood byhim and watched him.

And the weaver looked at him angrily, and said, 'Why art thouwatching me? Art thou a spy set on us by our master?'

'Who is thy master?' asked the young King.

'Our master!' cried the weaver, bitterly. 'He is a man likemyself. Indeed, 'there is but this difference between us thathe wears fine clothes while I go in rags, and that while I amweak from hunger he suffers not a little from overfeeding.'

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'The land is free,' said the young King, 'and thou art noman's slave.'

'In war,' answered the weaver, 'the strong make slaves of theweak, and in peace the rich make slaves of the poor. We mustwork to live, and they give us such mean wages that we die.We toil for them all day long, and they heap up gold in theircoffers, and our children fade away before their time, andthe faces of those we love become hard and evil. We tread outthe grapes, and another drinks the wine. We sow the corn, andour own board is empty. We have chains, though no eye beholdsthem; and are slaves, though men call us free.'

'Is it so with all?' he asked.

'It is so with all,' answered the weaver, 'with the young aswell as with the old, with the women as well as with the men,with the little children as well as with those who arestricken in years. The merchants grind us down, and we mustneeds do their bidding. The priest rides by and tells hisbeads, and no man has care of us. Through our sunless lanescreeps Poverty with her hungry eyes, and Sin with his soddenface follows close behind her. Misery wakes us in themorning, and Shame sits with us at night. But what are thesethings to thee? Thou art not one of us. Thy face is toohappy.' And he turned away scowling, and threw the shuttleacross the loom, and the young King saw that it was threadedwith a thread of gold.

And a great terror seized upon him, and he said to theweaver, 'What robe is this that thou art weaving?'

'It is the robe for the coronation of the young King,' heanswered; 'what is that to thee?'

And the young King gave a loud cry and woke, and lo! he wasin his own chamber, and through the window he saw the greathoney-coloured moon hanging in the dusky air.

And he fell asleep again and dreamed, and this was his dream.

He thought that he was lying on the deck of a huge galleythat was being rowed by a hundred slaves. On a carpet by hisside the master of the galley was seated. He was black asebony, and his turban was of crimson silk. Great earrings ofsilver dragged down the thick lobes of his ears, and in hishands he had a pair of ivory scales.

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The slaves were naked, but for a ragged loincloth, and eachman was chained to his neighbour. The hot sun 'beat brightlyupon them, and the negroes ran up and down the gangway andlashed them with whips of hide. They stretched out their leanarms and pulled the heavy oars through the water. The saltspray flew from the blades.

At last they reached a little bay, and began to takesoundings. A light wind blew from the shore, and covered thedeck and the great lateen sail with a fine red dust. ThreeArabs mounted on wild asses rode out and threw spears atthem. The master of the galley took a painted bow in his handand shot one of them in the throat. He fell heavily into thesurf, and his companions galloped away. A woman wrapped in ayellow veil followed slowly on a camel, looking back now andthen at the dead body.

As soon as they had cast anchor and hauled down the sail, thenegroes went into the hold and brought up a long rope-ladder,heavily weighted with lead. The master of the galley threw itover the side, making the ends fast to two iron stanchions.Then the negroes seized the youngest of the slaves, andknocked his gyves oil, and filled his nostrils and his earswith wax, and tied a big stone round his waist. He creptwearily down the ladder, and disappeared into the sea. A fewbubbles rose where he sank. Some of the other slaves peeredcuriously over the side. At the prow of the galley sat ashark-charmer, beating monotonously upon a drum.

After some time the diver rose up out of the water, and clungpanting to the ladder with a pearl in his right hand. Thenegroes seized it from him, and thrust him back. The slavesfell asleep over their oars.

Again and again he came up, and each time that he did so hebrought with him a beautiful pearl. The master of the galleyweighed them, and put them into a little bag of greenleather.

The young King tried to speak, but his tongue seemed tocleave to the roof of his mouth, and his lips refused tomove. The negroes chattered to each other, and began toquarrel over a string of bright beads. Two cranes flew roundand round the vessel.

Then the diver came up for the last time, and the pearl thathe brought with him was fairer than all the pearls of Ormuz,for it was shaped like the full moon, and whiter than the

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morning star. But his face was strangely pale, and as he fellupon the deck the blood gushed from his ears and nostrils. Hequivered for a little, and then he was still. The negroesshrugged their shoulders, and threw the body overboard.

And the master of the galley laughed, and, reaching out, hetook the pearl, and when he saw it he pressed it to hisforehead and bowed. 'It shall be,' he said, 'for the sceptreof the young King,' and he made a sign to the negroes to drawup the anchor.

And when the young King heard this he gave a great cry, andwoke, and through the window he saw the long grey fingers ofthe dawn clutching at the fading stars.

And he fell asleep again, and dreamed, and this was hisdream.

He thought that he was wandering through a dim wood, hungwith strange fruits and with beautiful poisonous flowers. Theadders hissed at him as he went by, and the bright parrotsflew screaming from branch to branch. Huge tortoises layasleep upon the hot mud. The trees were full of apes andpeacocks.

On and on he went, till he reached the outskirts of the wood,and there he saw an immense multitude of men toiling in thebed of a dried-up river. They swarmed up the crag like ants.They dug deep pits in the ground and went down into them.Some of them cleft the rocks with great axes; others grabbledin the sand. They tore up the cactus by its roots, andtrampled on the scarlet blossoms. They hurried about, callingto each other, and no man was idle.

From the darkness of a cavern Death and Avarice watched them,and Death said, 'I am weary; give me a third of them and letme go.'

But Avarice shook her head. 'They are my servants,' sheanswered.

And Death said to her, 'What hast thou in thy hand?'

'I have three grains of corn,' she answered; 'what is that tothee?'

'Give me one of them,' cried Death, 'to plant in my garden;only one of them, and I will go away.'

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'I will not give thee anything,' said Avarice, and she hidher hand in the fold of her raiment.

And Death laughed, and took a cup, and dipped it into a poolof water, and out of the cup rose Ague. She passed throughthe great multitude, and a third of them lay dead. A coldmist followed her, and the water-snakes ran by her side.

And when Avarice saw that a third of the multitude was deadshe beat her breast and wept. She beat her barren bosom andcried aloud. 'Thou hast slain a third of my servants,' shecried, 'get thee gone. There is war in the mountains ofTartary, and the kings of each side are calling to thee. TheAfghans have slain the black ox, and are marching to battle.They have beaten upon their shields with their spears, andhave put on their helmets of iron. What is my valley to thee,that thou should'st tarry in it? Get thee gone, and come hereno more.

'Nay,' answered Death, 'but till thou hast given me a grainof corn I will not go.'

But Avarice shut her hand, and clenched her teeth. 'I willnot give thee anything,' she muttered.

And Death laughed, and took up a black stone, and threw itinto the forest, and out of a thicket of wild hemlock cameFever in a robe of flame. She passed through the multitude,and touched them, and each man that she touched died. Thegrass withered beneath her feet as she walked.

And Avarice shuddered, and put ashes on her head. 'Thou artcruel,' she cried; 'thou art cruel. There is famine in thewalled cities of India, and the cisterns of Samarcand haverun dry. There is famine in the walled cities of Egypt, andthe locusts have come up from the desert. The Nile has notoverflowed its banks, and the priests have cursed Isis andOsiris. Get thee gone to those who need thee, and leave me myservants.'

'Nay,' answered Death, 'but till thou hast given me a grainof corn I will not go.'

'I will not give thee anything,' said Avarice.

And Death laughed again, and he whistled through his fingers,and a woman came flying through the air. Plague was writtenupon her forehead, and a crowd of lean vultures wheeled round

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her. She covered the valley with her wings, and no man wasleft alive.

And Avarice fled shrieking through the forest, and Deathleaped upon his red horse and galloped away, and hisgalloping was faster than the wind.

And out of the slime at the bottom of the valley creptdragons and horrible things with scales, and the jackals cametrotting along the sand, sniffing up the air with theirnostrils.

And the young King wept, and said: 'Who were these men andfor what were they seeking?'

'For rubies for a king's crown,' answered one who stoodbehind him.

And the young King started, and, turning round, he saw a manhabited as a pilgrim and holding in his hand a mirror ofsilver.

And he grew pale, and said: 'For what king?'

And the pilgrim answered: 'Look in this mirror, and thoushalt see him.'

And he looked in the mirror, and, seeing his own face, hegave a great cry and woke, and the bright sunlight wasstreaming into the room, and from the trees of the garden andpleasaunce the birds were singing.

And the Chamberlain and the high officers of State came inand made obeisance to him, and the pages brought him the robeof tissued gold, and set the crown and the sceptre beforehim.

And the young King looked at them, and they were beautiful.More beautiful were they than aught that he had ever seen.But he remembered his dreams, and he said to his lords: 'Takethese things away, for I will not wear them.'

And the courtiers were amazed, and some of them laughed, forthey thought that he was jesting.

But he spake sternly to them again, and said: 'Take thesethings away, and hide them from me. Though it be the day ofmy coronation, I will not wear them. For on the loom ofSorrow, and by the white hands of Pain, has this my robe been

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woven. There is Blood in the heart of the ruby, and Death inthe heart of the pearl.' And he told them his three dreams.

And when the courtiers heard them they looked at each otherand whispered, saying: 'Surely he is mad; for what is a dreambut a dream, and a vision but a vision? They are not realthings that one should heed them. And what have we to do withthe lives of those who toil for us? Shall a man not eat breadtill he has seen the sower, nor drink wine till he has talkedwith the vinedresser?'

And the Chamberlain spake to the young King, and said, 'Mylord, I pray thee set aside these black thoughts of thine,and put on this fair robe, and set this crown upon thy head.For how shall the people know that thou art a king, if thouhast not a king's raiment?'

And the young King looked at him. 'Is it so, indeed?' hequestioned. 'Will they not know me for a king if I have not aking's raiment?'

'They will not know thee, my lord,' cried the Chamberlain.

'I had thought that there had been men who were kinglike,' heanswered, 'but it may be as thou sayest. And yet I will notwear this robe, nor will I be crowned with this crown, buteven as I came to the palace so will I go forth from it.'

And he bade them all leave him, save one page whom he kept ashis companion, a lad a year younger than himself. Him he keptfor his service, and when he had bathed himself in clearwater, he opened a great painted chest, and from it he tookthe leathern tunic and rough sheepskin cloak that he had wornwhen he had watched on the hillside the shaggy goats of thegoatherd. These he put on, and in his hand he took his rudeshepherd's staff.

And the little page opened his big blue eyes in wonder, andsaid smiling to him, 'My lord, I see thy robe and thysceptre, but where is thy crown?'

And the young King plucked a spray of wild briar that wasclimbing over the balcony, and bent it, and made a circlet ofit, and set it on his own head.

'This shall be my crown,' he answered.

And thus attired he passed out of his chamber into the GreatHall, where the nobles were waiting for him.

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And the nobles made merry, and some of them cried out to him,'My lord, the people wait for their king, and thou showestthem a beggar,' and others were wroth and said, 'He bringsshame upon our state, and is unworthy to be our master.' Buthe answered them not a word, but passed on, and went down thebright porphyry staircase, and out through the gates ofbronze, and mounted upon his horse, and rode towards thecathedral, the little page running beside him.

And the people laughed and said, 'It is the King's fool whois riding by,' and they mocked him.

And he drew rein and said, 'Nay, but I am the King.' And hetold them his three dreams.

And a man came out of the crowd and spake bitterly to him,and said, 'Sir, knowest thou not that out of the luxury ofthe rich cometh the life of the poor? By your pomp we arenurtured, and your vices give us bread. To toil for a hardmaster is bitter, but to have no master to toil for is morebitter still. Thinkest thou that the ravens will feed us? Andwhat cure hast thou for these things? Wilt thou say to thebuyer, "Thou shalt buy for so much," and to the seller, "Thoushalt sell at this price?" I trow not. Therefore go back tothy Palace and put on thy purple and fine linen. What hastthou to do with us, and what we suffer?'

'Are not the rich and the poor brothers?' asked the youngKing.

'Aye,' answered the man, 'and the name of the rich brother isCain.'

And the young King's eyes filled with tears, and he rode onthrough the murmurs of the people, and the little page grewafraid and left him.

And when he reached the great portal of the cathedral, thesoldiers thrust their halberts out and said, 'What dost thouseek here? None enters by this door but the King.'

And his face flushed with anger, and he said to them, 'I amthe King,' and waved their halberts aside and passed in.

And when the old Bishop saw him coming in his goatherd'sdress, he rose up in wonder from his throne, and went to meethim, and said to him, 'My son, is this a king's apparel? Andwith what crown shall I crown thee, and what sceptre shall I

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place in thy hand? Surely this should be to thee a day ofjoy, and not a day of abasement.'

'Shall Joy wear what Grief has fashioned?' said the youngKing. And he told him his three dreams.

And when the Bishop had heard them he knit his brows, andsaid, 'My son, I am an old man, and in the winter of my days,and I know that many evil things are done in the wide world.The fierce robbers come down from the mountains, and carryoff the little children, and sell them to the Moors. Thelions lie in wait for the caravans, and leap upon the camels.The wild boar roots up the corn in the valley, and the foxesgnaw the vines upon the hill. The pirates lay waste the sea-coast and burn the ships of the fishermen, and take theirnets from them. In the salt-marshes live the lepers; theyhave houses of wattled reeds, and none may come nigh them.The beggars wander through the cities, and eat their foodwith the dogs. Canst thou make these things not to be? Wiltthou take the leper for thy bedfellow, and set the beggar atthy board? Shall the lion do thy bidding, and the wild boarobey thee? Is not He who made misery wiser than thou art?Wherefore I praise thee not for this that thou hast done, butI bid thee ride back to the Palace and make thy face glad,and put on the raiment that beseemeth a king, and with thecrown of gold I will crown thee, and the sceptre of pearlwill I place in thy hand. And as for thy dreams, think nomore of them. The burden of this world is too great for oneman to bear, and the world's sorrow too heavy for one heartto suffer.'

'Sayest thou that in this house?' said the young King, and hestrode past the Bishop, and climbed up the steps of thealtar, and stood before the image of Christ.

He stood before the image of Christ, and on his right handand on his left were the marvellous vessels of gold, thechalice with the yellow wine, and the vial with the holy oil.He knelt before the image of Christ, and the great candlesburned brightly by the jewelled shrine, and the smoke of theincense curled in thin blue wreaths through the dome. Hebowed his head in prayer, and the priests in their stiffcopes crept away from the altar.

And suddenly a wild tumult came from the street outside, andin entered the nobles with drawn swords and nodding plumes,and shields of polished steel. 'Where is this dreamer ofdreams?' they cried. 'Where is this King, who is apparelled

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like a beggar -- this boy who brings shame upon our state?Surely we will slay him, for he is unworthy to rule over us.'

And the young King bowed his head again, and prayed, and whenhe had finished his prayer he rose up, and turning round helooked at them sadly.

And lo! through the painted windows came the sunlightstreaming upon him, and the sunbeams wove round him a tissuedrobe that was fairer than the robe that had been fashionedfor his pleasure. The dead staff blossomed, and bare liliesthat were whiter than pearls. The dry thorn blossomed, andbare roses that were redder than rubies. Whiter than finepearls were the lilies, and their stems were of brightsilver. Redder than male rubies were the roses, and theirleaves were of beaten gold.

He stood there in the raiment of a king, and the gates of thejewelled shrine flew open, and from the crystal of the many-rayed monstrance shone a marvellous and mystical light. Hestood there in a king's raiment, and the Glory of God filledthe place, and the saints in their carven niches seemed tomove. In the fair raiment of a king he stood before them, andthe organ pealed out its music, and the trumpeters blew upontheir trumpets, and the singing boys sang.

And the people fell upon their knees in awe, and the noblessheathed their swords and did homage, and the Bishop's facegrew pale, and his hands trembled. 'A greater than I hathcrowned thee,' he cried, and he knelt before him.

And the young King came down from the high altar, and passedhome through the midst of the people. But no man dared lookupon his face, for it was like the face of an angel.

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THE BIRTHDAY OF THE INFANTA

IT was the birthday of the Infanta. She was just twelve yearsof age, and the sun was shining brightly in the gardens ofthe palace.

Although she was a real Princess and the Infanta of Spain,she had only one birthday every year, just like the childrenof quite poor people, so it was naturally a matter of greatimportance to the whole country that she should have a reallyfine day for the occasion. And a really fine day it certainlywas. The tall striped tulips stood straight up upon theirstalks, like long rows of soldiers, and looked defiantlyacross the grass at the roses, and said: 'We are quite assplendid as you are now.' The purple butterflies flutteredabout with gold dust on their wings, visiting each flower inturn; the little lizards crept out of the crevices of thewall, and lay basking in the white glare; and thepomegranates split and cracked with the heat, and showedtheir bleeding red hearts. Even the pale yellow lemons, thathung in such profusion from the mouldering trellis and alongthe dim arcades, seemed to have caught a richer colour fromthe wonderful sunlight, and the magnolia trees opened theirgreat globe-like blossoms of folded ivory, and filled the airwith a sweet heavy perfume.

The little Princess herself walked up and down the terracewith her companions, and played at hide and seek round thestone vases and the old moss-grown statues. On ordinary daysshe was only allowed to play with children of her own rank,so she had always to play alone, but her birthday was anexception, and the King had given orders that she was toinvite any of her young friends whom she liked to come andamuse themselves with her. There was a stately grace aboutthese slim Spanish children as they glided about, the boyswith their large-plumed hats and short fluttering cloaks, thegirls holding up the trains of their long brocaded gowns, andshielding the sun from their eyes with huge fans of black andsilver. But the Infanta was the most graceful of all, and themost tastefully attired, after the somewhat cumbrous fashionof the day. Her robe was of grey satin, the skirt and thewide puffed sleeves heavily embroidered with silver, and thestiff corset studded with rows of fine pearls. Two tinyslippers with big pink rosettes peeped out beneath her dressas she walked. Pink and pearl was her great gauze fan, and in

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her hair, which like an aureole of faded gold stood outstiffly round her pale little face, she had a beautiful whiterose.

From a window in the palace the sad melancholy King watchedthem. Behind him stood his brother, Don Pedro of Aragon, whomhe hated, and his confessor, the Grand Inquisitor of Granada,sat by his side. Sadder even than usual was the King, for ashe looked at the Infanta bowing with childish gravity to theassembling counters, or laughing behind her fan at the grimDuchess of Albuquerque who always accompanied her, he thoughtof the young Queen, her mother, who but a short time before --so it seemed to him -- had come from the gay country ofFrance, and had withered away in the sombre splendour of theSpanish court, dying just six months after the birth of herchild, and before she had seen the almonds blossom twice inthe orchard, or plucked the second year's fruit from the oldgnarled fig-tree that stood in the centre of the now grass-grown courtyard. So great had been his love for her that hehad not suffered even the grave to hide her from him. She hadbeen embalmed by a Moorish physician, who in return for thisservice had been granted his life, which for heresy andsuspicion of magical practices had been already forfeited,men said, to the Holy Office, and her body was still lying onits tapestried bier in the black marble chapel of the Palace,just as the monks had borne her in on that windy March daynearly twelve years before. Once every month the King,wrapped in a dark cloak and with a muffled lantern in hishand, went in and knelt by her side calling out, 'Mi reina!Mi reina!' and sometimes breaking through the formaletiquette that in Spain governs every separate action oflife, and sets limits even to the sorrow of a King, he wouldclutch at the pale jewelled hands in a wild agony of grief,and try to wake by his mad kisses the cold painted face.

Today he seemed to see her again, as he had seen her first atthe Castle of Fontainebleau, when he was but fifteen years ofage, and she still younger. They had been formally betrothedon that occasion by the Papal Nuncio in the presence of theFrench King and all the Court, and he had returned to theEscurial bearing with him a little ringlet of yellow hair,and the memory of two childish lips bending down to kiss hishand as he stepped into his carriage. Later on had followedthe marriage, hastily performed at Burgos, a small town onthe frontier between the two countries, and the grand publicentry into Madrid with the customary celebration of high massat the Church of La Atocha, and a more than usually solemnauto-da-fé, in which nearly three hundred heretics, amongst

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whom were many Englishmen, had been delivered over to thesecular arm to be burned.

Certainly he had loved her madly, and to the ruin, manythought, of his country, then at war with England for thepossession of the empire of the New World. He had hardly everpermitted her to be out of his sight; for her, he hadforgotten, or seemed to have forgotten, all grave affairs ofState; and, with that terrible blindness that passion bringsupon its servants, he had failed to notice that the elaborateceremonies by which he sought to please her did but aggravatethe strange malady from which she suffered. When she died hewas, for a time, like one bereft of reason. Indeed, there isno doubt but that he would have formally abdicated andretired to the great Trappist monastery at Granada, of whichhe was already titular Prior, had he not been afraid to leavethe little Infanta at the mercy of his brother, whosecruelty, even in Spain, was notorious, and who was suspectedby many of having caused the Queen's death by means of a pairof poisoned gloves that he had presented to her on theoccasion of her visiting his castle in Aragon. Even after theexpiration of the three years of public mourning that he hadordained throughout his whole dominions by royal edict, hewould never suffer his ministers to speak about any newalliance, and when the Emperor himself sent to him, andoffered him the hand of the lovely Archduchess of Bohemia,his niece, in marriage, he bade the ambassadors tell theirmaster that the King of Spain was already wedded to Sorrow,and that though she was but a barren bride he loved herbetter than Beauty; an answer that cost his crown the richprovinces of the Netherlands, which soon after, at theEmperor's instigation, revolted against him under theleadership of some fanatics of the Reformed Church.

His whole married life, with its fierce, fiery-coloured joysand the terrible agony of its sudden ending, seemed to comeback to him to-day as he watched the Infanta playing on theterrace. She had all the Queen's pretty petulance of manner,the same wilful way of tossing her head, the same proudcurved beautiful mouth, the same wonderful smile -- vraisourire de France indeed -- as she glanced up now and then atthe window, or stretched out her little hand for the statelySpanish gentlemen to kiss. But the shrill laughter of thechildren grated on his ears, and the bright pitiless sunlightmocked his sorrow, and a dull odour of strange spices, spicessuch as embalmers use, seemed to taint -- or was it fancy? --the clear morning air. He buried his face in his hands, andwhen the Infanta looked up again the curtains had been drawn,and the King had retired.

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She made a little moue of disappointment, and shrugged hershoulders. Surely he might have stayed with her on herbirthday. What did the stupid State-affairs matter? Or had hegone to that gloomy chapel, where the candles were alwaysburning, and where she was never allowed to enter? How sillyof him, when the sun was shining so brightly, and everybodywas so happy! Besides, he would miss the sham bull-fight forwhich the trumpet was already sounding, to say nothing of thepuppet-show and the other wonderful things. Her uncle and theGrand Inquisitor were much more sensible. They had come outon the terrace, and paid her nice compliments. So she tossedher pretty head, and taking Don Pedro by the hand, she walkedslowly down the steps towards a long pavilion of purple silkthat had been erected at the end of the garden, the otherchildren following in strict order of precedence, those whohad the longest names going first.

A procession of noble boys, fantastically dressed astoreadors, came out to meet her, and the young Count ofTierra-Nueva, a wonderfully handsome lad of about fourteenyears of age, uncovering his head with all the grace of aborn hidalgo and grandee of Spain, led her solemnly in to alittle gilt and ivory chair that was placed on a raised daisabove the arena. The children grouped themselves all round,fluttering their big fans and whispering to each other, andDon Pedro and the Grand Inquisitor stood laughing at theentrance. Even the Duchess -- the Camerera-Mayor as she wascalled -- a thin, hard-featured woman with a yellow ruff, didnot look quite so bad-tempered as usual, and something like achill smile flitted across her wrinkled face and twitched herthin bloodless lips.

It certainly was a marvellous bull-fight, and much nicer, theInfanta thought, than the real bull-fight that she had beenbrought to see at Seville, on the occasion of the visit ofthe Duke of Parma to her father. Some of the boys prancedabout on richly- caparisoned hobby-horses brandishing longjavelins with gay streamers of bright ribands attached tothem; others went on foot waving their scarlet cloaks beforethe bull, and vaulting lightly over the barrier when hecharged them; and as for the bull himself, he was just like alive bull, though he was only made of wicker-work andstretched hide, and sometimes insisted on running round thearena on his hind legs, which no live bull ever dreams ofdoing. He made a splendid fight of it too, and the childrengot so excited that they stood up upon the benches, and wavedtheir lace handkerchiefs and cried out: Bravo toro! Bravotoro! just as sensibly as if they had been grown-up people.

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At last, however, after a prolonged combat, during whichseveral of the hobby-horses were gored through and through,and, their riders dismounted, the young Count of Tierra-Nuevabrought the bull to his knees, and having obtained permissionfrom the Infanta to give the coup de grace, he plunged hiswooden sword into the neck of the animal with such violencethat the head came right off, and disclosed the laughing faceof little Monsieur de Lorraine, the son of the FrenchAmbassador at Madrid.

The arena was then cleared amidst much applause, and the deadhobbyhorses dragged solemnly away by two Moorish pages inyellow and black liveries, and after a short interlude,during which a French posture-master performed upon thetightrope, some Italian puppets appeared in the semi-classical tragedy of Sophonisba on the stage of a smalltheatre that had been built up for the purpose. They acted sowell, and their gestures were so extremely natural, that atthe close of the play the eyes of the Infanta were quite dimwith tears. Indeed some of the children really cried, and hadto be comforted with sweetmeats, and the Grand Inquisitorhimself was so affected that he could not help saying to DonPedro that it seemed to him intolerable that things madesimply out of wood and coloured wax, and worked mechanicallyby wires, should be so unhappy and meet with such terriblemisfortunes.

An African juggler followed, who brought in a large flatbasket covered with a red cloth, and having placed it in thecentre of the arena, he took from his turban a curious reedpipe, and blew through it. In a few moments the cloth beganto move, and as the pipe grew shriller and shriller two greenand gold snakes put out their strange wedge-shaped heads androse slowly up, swaying to and fro with the music as a plantsways in the water. The children, however, were ratherfrightened at their spotted hoods and quick darting tongues,and were much more pleased when the juggler made a tinyorange-tree grow out of the sand and bear pretty whiteblossoms and clusters of real fruit; and when he took the fanof the little daughter of the Marquess de Las-Torres, andchanged it into a blue bird that flew all round the pavilionand sang, their delight and amazement knew no bounds. Thesolemn minuet, too, performed by the dancing boys from thechurch of Nuestra Senora Del Pilar, was charming. The Infantahad never before seen this wonderful ceremony which takesplace every year at Maytime in front of the high altar of theVirgin, and in her honour; and indeed none of the royalfamily of Spain had entered the great cathedral of Saragossasince a mad priest, supposed by many to have been in the pay

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of Elizabeth of England, had tried to administer a poisonedwafer to the Prince of the Asturias. So she had known only byhearsay of 'Our Lady's Dance,' as it was called, and itcertainly was a beautiful sight. The boys wore old-fashionedcourt dresses of white velvet, and their curious three-cornered hats were fringed with silver and surmounted withhuge plumes of ostrich feathers, the dazzling whiteness oftheir costumes, as they moved about in the sunlight, beingstill more accentuated by their swarthy faces and long blackhair. Everybody was fascinated by the grave dignity withwhich they moved through the intricate figures of the dance,and by the elaborate grace of their slow gestures, andstately bows, and when they had finished their performanceand doffed their great plumed hats to the Infanta, sheacknowledged their reverence with much courtesy, and made avow that she would send a large wax candle to the shrine ofOur Lady of Pilar in return for the pleasure that she hadgiven her.

A troop of handsome Egyptians -- as the gipsies were termedin those days -- then advanced into the arena, and sittingdown cross-legs, in a circle, began to play softly upon theirzithers, moving their bodies to the tune, and humming, almostbelow their breath, a low dreamy air. When they caught sightof Don Pedro they scowled at him, and some of them lookedterrified, for only a few weeks before he had had two oftheir tribe hanged for sorcery in the market-place atSeville, but the pretty Infanta charmed them as she leanedback peeping over her fan with her great blue eyes, and theyfelt sure that one so lovely as she was could never be cruelto anybody. So they played on very gently and just touchingthe cords of the zithers with their long pointed nails, andtheir heads began to nod as though they were falling asleep.Suddenly, with a cry so shrill that all the children werestartled and Don Pedro's hand clutched at the agate pommel ofhis dagger, they leapt to their feet and whirled madly roundthe enclosure beating their tambourines, and chaunting somewild love-song in their strange guttural language. Then atanother signal they all flung themselves again to the groundand lay there quite still, the dull strumming of the zithersbeing the only sound that broke the silence. After that theyhad done this several times, they disappeared for a momentand came back leading a brown shaggy bear by a chain, andcarrying on their shoulders some little Barbary apes. Thebear stood upon his head with the utmost gravity, and thewizened apes played all kinds of amusing tricks with twogipsy boys who seemed to be their masters, and fought withtiny swords, and fired off guns, and went through a regular

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soldier's drill just like the King's own bodyguard. In factthe gipsies were a great success.

But the funniest part of the whole morning's entertainment,was undoubtedly the dancing of the little Dwarf. When hestumbled into the arena, waddling on his crooked legs andwagging his huge misshapen head from side to side, thechildren went off into a loud shout of delight, and theInfanta herself laughed so much that the Camerera was obligedto remind her that although there were many precedents inSpain for a King's daughter weeping before her equals, therewere none for a Princess of the blood royal making so merrybefore those who were her inferiors in birth. The Dwarf,however, was really quite irresistible, and even at theSpanish Court, always noted for its cultivated passion forthe horrible, so fantastic a little monster had never beenseen. It was his first appearance, too. He had beendiscovered only the day before, running wild through theforest, by two of the nobles who happened to have beenhunting in a remote part of the great cork-wood thatsurrounded the town, and had been carried off by them to thePalace as a surprise for the Infanta; his father, who was apoor charcoal-burner, being but too well pleased to get ridof so ugly and useless a child. Perhaps the most amusingthing about him was his complete unconsciousness of his owngrotesque appearance. Indeed he seemed quite happy and fullof the highest spirits. When the children laughed, he laughedas freely and as joyously as any of them, and at the close ofeach dance he made them each the funniest of bows, smilingand nodding at them just as if he was really one ofthemselves, and not a little misshapen thing that Nature, insome humourous mood, had fashioned for others to mock at. Asfor the Infanta, she absolutely fascinated him. He could notkeep his eyes off her, and seemed to dance for her alone, andwhen at the close of the performance, remembering how she hadseen the great ladies of the Court throw bouquets toCaffarelli, the famous Italian treble, whom the Pope had sentfrom his own chapel to Madrid that he might cure the King'smelancholy by the sweetness of his voice, she took out of herhair the beautiful white rose, and partly for a jest andpartly to tease the Camerera, threw it to him across thearena with her sweetest smile, he took the whole matter quiteseriously, and pressing the flower to his rough coarse lipshe put his hand upon his heart, and sank on one knee beforeher, grinning from ear to ear, and with his little brighteyes sparkling with pleasure.

This so upset the gravity of the Infanta that she kept onlaughing long after the little Dwarf had ran out of the

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arena, and expressed a desire to her uncle that the danceshould be immediately repeated. The Camerera, however, on theplea that the sun was too hot, decided that it would bebetter that her Highness should return without delay to thePalace, where a wonderful feast had been already prepared forher, including a real birthday cake with her own initialsworked all over it in painted sugar and a lovely silver flagwaving from the top. The Infanta accordingly rose up withmuch dignity, and having given orders that the little dwarfwas to dance again for her after the hour of siesta, andconveyed her thanks to the young Count of Tierra-Nueva forhis charming reception, she went back to her apartments, thechildren following in the same order in which they hadentered.

Now when the little Dwarf heard that he was to dance a secondtime before the Infanta, and by her own express command, hewas so proud that he ran out into the garden, kissing thewhite rose in an absurd ecstasy of pleasure, and making themost uncouth and clumsy gestures of delight.

The Flowers were quite indignant at his daring to intrudeinto their beautiful home, and when they saw him capering upand down the walks, and waving his arms above his head insuch a ridiculous manner, they could not restrain theirfeelings any longer.

'He is really far too ugly to be allowed to play in any placewhere we are,' cried the Tulips.

'He should drink poppy-juice, and go to sleep for a thousandyears,' said the great scarlet Lilies, and they grew quitehot and angry.

'He is a perfect horror!' screamed the Cactus. 'Why, he istwisted and stumpy, and his head is completely out ofproportion with his legs. Really he makes me feel prickly allover, and if he comes near me I will sting him with mythorns.'

'And he has actually got one of my best blooms,' exclaimedthe White Rose-Tree. 'I gave it to the Infanta this morningmyself, as a birthday present, and he has stolen it fromher.' And she called out: 'Thief, thief, thief!' at the topof her voice.

Even the red Geraniums, who did not usually give themselvesairs, and were known to have a great many poor relationsthemselves, curled up in disgust when they saw him, and when

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the Violets meekly remarked that though he was certainlyextremely plain, still he could not help it, they retortedwith a good deal of justice that that was his chief defect,and that there was no reason why one should admire a personbecause he was incurable; and, indeed, some of the Violetsthemselves felt that the ugliness of the little Dwarf wasalmost ostentatious, and that he would have shown much bettertaste if he had looked sad, or at least pensive, instead ofjumping about merrily, and throwing himself into suchgrotesque and silly attitudes.

As for the old Sundial, who was an extremely remarkableindividual, and had once told the time of day to no less aperson than the Emperor Charles V. himself, he was so takenaback by the little Dwarf's appearance, that he almost forgotto mark two whole minutes with his long shadowy finger, andcould not help saying to the great milk-white Peacock, whowas sunning herself on the balustrade, that every one knewthat the children of Kings were Kings, and that the childrenof charcoal-burners were charcoal-burners, and that it wasabsurd to pretend that it wasn't so; a statement with whichthe Peacock entirely agreed, and indeed screamed out,'Certainly, certainly,' in such a loud, harsh voice, that thegold-fish who lived in the basin of the cool splashingfountain put their heads out of the water, and asked the hugestone Tritons what on earth was the matter.

But somehow the Birds liked him. They had seen him often inthe forest, dancing about like an elf after the eddyingleaves, or crouched up in the hollow of some old oak-tree,sharing his nuts with the squirrels. They did not mind hisbeing ugly, a bit. Why, even the nightingale herself, whosang so sweetly in the orange groves at night that sometimesthe Moon leaned down to listen, was not much to look at afterall; and, besides, he had been kind to them, and during thatterribly bitter winter, when there were no berries on thetrees, and the ground was as hard as iron, and the wolves hadcome down to the very gates of the city to look for food, hehad never once forgotten them, but had always given themcrumbs out of his little hunch of black bread, and dividedwith them whatever poor breakfast he had.

So they flew round and round him, just touching his cheekwith their wings as they passed, and chattered to each other,and the little Dwarf was so pleased that he could not helpshowing them the beautiful white rose, and telling them thatthe Infanta herself had given it to him because she lovedhim.

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They did not understand a single word of what he was saying,but that made no matter, for they put their heads on oneside, and looked wise, which is quite as good asunderstanding a thing, and very much easier.

The Lizards also took an immense fancy to him, and when hegrew tired of running about and flung himself down on thegrass to rest, they played and romped all over him, and triedto amuse him in the best way they could. 'Every one cannot beas beautiful as a lizard,' they cried; 'that would be toomuch to expect. And, though it sounds absurd to say so, he isreally not so ugly after all, provided, of course, that oneshuts one's eyes, and does not look at him.' The Lizards wereextremely philosophical by nature, and often sat thinking forhours and hours together, when there was nothing else to do,or when the weather was too rainy for them to go out.

The Flowers, however, were excessively annoyed at theirbehaviour, and at the behaviour of the birds. 'It onlyshows,' they said, 'what a vulgarising effect this incessantrushing and flying about has. Well-bred people always stayexactly in the same place, as we do. No one ever saw ushopping up and down the walks, or galloping madly through thegrass after dragon-flies. When we do want change of air, wesend for the gardener, and he carries us to another bed. Thisis dignified, and as it should be. But birds and lizards haveno sense of repose, and indeed birds have not even apermanent address. They are mere vagrants like the gipsies,and should be treated in exactly the same manner.' So theyput their noses in the air, and looked very haughty, and werequite delighted when after some time they saw the littleDwarf scramble up from the grass, and make his way across theterrace to the palace.

'He should certainly be kept indoors for the rest of hisnatural life,' they said. 'Look at his hunched back, and hiscrooked legs,' and they began to titter.

But the little Dwarf knew nothing of all this. He liked thebirds and the lizards immensely, and thought that the flowerswere the most marvellous things in the whole world, except ofcourse the Infanta, but then she had given him the beautifulwhite rose, and she loved him, and that made a greatdifference. How he wished that he had gone back with her! Shewould have put him on her right hand, and smiled at him, andhe would have never left her side, but would have made herhis playmate, and taught her all kinds of delightful tricks.For though he had never been in a palace before, he knew a

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great many wonderful things. He could make little cages outof rushes for the grasshoppers to sing in, and fashion thelong jointed bamboo into the pipe that Pan loves to hear. Heknew the cry of every bird, and could call the starlings fromthe tree-top, or the heron from the mere. He knew the trailof every animal, and could track the hare by its delicatefootprints, and the boar by the trampled leaves. All the wild-dances he knew, the mad dance in red raiment with the autumn,the light dance in blue sandals over the corn, the dance withwhite snow-wreaths in winter, and the blossom-dance throughthe orchards in spring. He knew where the wood-pigeons builttheir nests, and once when a fowler had snared the parentbirds, he had brought up the young ones himself, and hadbuilt a little dovecot for them in the cleft of a pollardelm. They were quite tame, and used to feed out of his handsevery morning. She would like them, and the rabbits thatscurried about in the long fern, and the jays with theirsteely feathers and black bills, and the hedgehogs that couldcurl themselves up into prickly balls, and the great wisetortoises that crawled slowly about, shaking their heads andnibbling at the young leaves. Yes, she must certainly come tothe forest and play with him. He would give her his ownlittle bed, and would watch outside the window till dawn, tosee that the wild horned cattle did not harm her, nor thegaunt wolves creep too near the hut. And at dawn he would tapat the shutters and wake her, and they would go out and dancetogether all the day long. It was really not a bit lonely inthe forest. Sometimes a Bishop rode through on his whitemule, reading out of a painted book. Sometimes in their greenvelvet caps, and their jerkins of tanned deerskin, thefalconers passed by, with hooded hawks on their wrists. Atvintage-time came the grape-treaders, with purple hands andfeet, wreathed with glossy ivy and carrying dripping skins ofwine; and the charcoal-burners sat round their huge braziersat night, watching the dry logs charring slowly in the fire,and roasting chestnuts in the ashes, and the robbers came outof their caves and made merry with them. Once, too, he hadseen a beautiful procession winding up the long dusty road toToledo. The monks went in front singing sweetly, and carryingbright banners and crosses of gold, and then, in silverarmour, with matchlocks and pikes, came the soldiers, and intheir midst walked three barefooted men, in strange yellowdresses painted all over with wonderful figures, and carryinglighted candles in their hands. Certainly there was a greatdeal to look at in the forest, and when she was tired hewould find a soft bank of moss for her, or carry her in hisarms, for he was very strong, though he knew that he was nottall. He would make her a necklace of red bryony berries,that would be quite as pretty as the white berries that she

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wore on her dress, and when she was tired of them, she couldthrow them away, and he would find her others. He would bringher acorn-cups and dew-drenched anemones, and tiny glow-wormsto be stars in the pale gold of her hair.

But where was she? He asked the white rose, and it made himno answer. The whole palace seemed asleep, and even where theshutters had not been closed, heavy curtains had been drawnacross the windows to keep out the glare. He wandered allround looking for some place through which he might gain anentrance, and at last he caught sight of a little privatedoor that was lying open. He slipped through, and foundhimself in a splendid hall, far more splendid, he feared,than the forest, there was so much more gilding everywhere,and even the floor was made of great coloured stones, fittedtogether into a sort of geometrical pattern. But the littleInfanta was not there, only some wonderful white statues thatlooked down on him from their jasper pedestals, with sadblank eyes and strangely smiling lips.

At the end of the hall hung a richly embroidered curtain ofblack velvet, powdered with suns and stars, the King'sfavourite devices, and broidered on the colour he loved best.Perhaps she was hiding behind that? He would try at any rate.

So he stole quietly across, and drew it aside. No; there wasonly another room, though a prettier room, he thought, thanthe one he had just left. The walls were hung with a many-figured green arras of needle-wrought tapestry representing ahunt, the work of some Flemish artists who had spent morethan seven years in its composition. It had once been thechamber of Jean le Fou, as he was called, that mad King whowas so enamoured of the chase, that he had often tried in hisdelirium to mount the huge rearing horses, and to drag downthe stag on which the great hounds were leaping, sounding hishunting horn, and stabbing with his dagger at the pale flyingdeer. It was now used as the council-room, and on the centretable were lying the red portfolios of the ministers, stampedwith the gold tulips of Spain, and with the arms and emblemsof the house of Hapsburg.

The little Dwarf looked in wonder all round him, and was half-afraid to go on. The strange silent horsemen that galloped soswiftly through the long glades without making any noise,seemed to him like those terrible phantoms of whom he hadheard the charcoal-burners speaking -- the Comprachos, whohunt only at night, and if they meet a man, turn him into ahind, and chase him. But he thought of the pretty Infanta,and took courage. He wanted to find her alone, and to tell

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her that he too loved her. Perhaps she was in the roombeyond.

He ran across the soft Moorish carpets, and opened the door.No! She was not here either. The room was quite empty.

It was a throne-room, used for the reception of foreignambassadors, when the King, which of late had not been often,consented to give them a personal audience; the same room inwhich, many years before, envoys had appeared from England tomake arrangements for the marriage of their Queen, then oneof the Catholic sovereigns of Europe, with the Emperor'seldest son. The hangings were of gilt Cordovan leather, and aheavy gilt chandelier with branches for three hundred waxlights hung down from the black and white ceiling. Underneatha great canopy of gold cloth, on which the lions and towersof Castile were broidered in seed pearls, stood the throneitself, covered with a rich pall of black velvet studded withsilver tulips and elaborately fringed with silver and pearls.On the second step of the throne was placed the kneeling-stool of the Infanta, with its cushion of cloth of silvertissue, and below that again, and beyond the limit of thecanopy, stood the chair for the Papal Nuncio, who alone hadthe right to be seated in the King's presence on the occasionof any public ceremonial, and whose Cardinal's hat, with itstangled scarlet tassels, lay on a purple tabouret in front.On the wall, facing the throne, hung a life-sized portrait ofCharles V in hunting dress, with a great mastiff by his side,and a picture of Philip II receiving the homage of theNetherlands occupied the centre of the other wall. Betweenthe windows stood a black ebony cabinet, inlaid with platesof ivory, on which the figures from Holbein's Dance of Deathhad been graved -- by the hand, some said, of that famousmaster himself.

But the little Dwarf cared nothing for all this magnificence.He would not have given his rose for all the pearls on thecanopy, nor one white petal of his rose for the throneitself. What he wanted was to see the Infanta before she wentdown to the pavilion, and to ask her to come away with himwhen he had finished his dance. Here, in the Palace, the airwas close and heavy, but in the forest the wind blew free,and the sunlight with wandering hands of gold moved thetremulous leaves aside. There were flowers, too, in theforest, not so splendid, perhaps, as the flowers in thegarden, but more sweetly scented for all that; hyacinths inearly spring that flooded with waving purple the cool glens,and grassy knolls; yellow primroses that nestled in littleclumps round the gnarled roots of the oak-trees; bright

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celandine, and blue speedwell, and irises lilac and gold.There were grey catkins on the hazels, and the foxglovesdrooped with the weight of their dappled bee-haunted cells.The chestnut had its spires of white stars, and the hawthornits pallid moons of beauty. Yes: surely she would come if hecould only find her! She would come with him to the fairforest, and all day long he would dance for her delight. Asmile lit up his eyes at the thought, and he passed into thenext room.

Of all the rooms this was the brightest and the mostbeautiful. The walls were covered with a pink-flowered Luccadamask, patterned with birds and dotted with dainty blossomsof silver; the furniture was of massive silver, festoonedwith florid wreaths, and swinging Cupids; in front of the twolarge fire-places stood great screens broidered with parrotsand peacocks, and the floor, which was of sea-green onyx,seemed to stretch far away into the distance. Nor was healone. Standing under the shadow of the doorway, at theextreme end of the room, he saw a little figure watching him.His heart trembled, a cry of joy broke from his lips, and hemoved out into the sunlight. As he did so, the figure movedout also, and he saw it plainly.

The Infanta! It was a monster, the most grotesque monster hehad ever beheld. Not properly shaped, as all other peoplewere, but hunchbacked, and crooked-limbed, with huge lollinghead and mane of black hair. The little Dwarf frowned, andthe monster frowned also. He laughed, and it laughed withhim, and held its hands to its sides, just as he himself wasdoing. He made it a mocking bow, and it returned him a lowreverence. He went towards it, and it came to meet him,copying each step that he made, and stopping when he stoppedhimself. He shouted with amusement, and ran forward, andreached out his hand, and the hand of the monster touchedhis, and it was as cold as ice. He grew afraid, and moved hishand across, and the monster's hand followed it quickly. Hetried to press on, but something smooth and hard stopped him.The face of the monster was now close to his own, and seemedfull of terror. He brushed his hair off his eyes. It imitatedhim. He struck at it, and it returned blow for blow. Heloathed it, and it made hideous faces at him. He drew back,and it retreated.

What is it? He thought for a moment, and looked round at therest of the room. It was strange, but everything seemed tohave its double in this invisible wall of clear water. Yes,picture for picture was repeated, and couch for couch. Thesleeping Faun that lay in the alcove by the doorway had its

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twin brother that slumbered, and the silver Venus that stoodin the sunlight held out her arms to a Venus as lovely asherself.

Was it Echo? He had called to her once in the valley, and shehad answered him word for word. Could she mock the eye, asshe mocked the voice? Could she make a mimic world just likethe real world? Could the shadows of things have colour andlife and movement? Could it be that -- ?

He started, and taking from his breast the beautiful whiterose, he turned round, and kissed it. The monster had a roseof its own, petal for petal the same! It kissed it with likekisses, and pressed it to its heart with horrible gestures.

When the truth dawned upon him, he gave a wild cry ofdespair, and fell sobbing to the ground. So it was he who wasmisshapen and hunchbacked, foul to look at and grotesque. Hehimself was the monster, and it was at him that all thechildren had been laughing, and the little Princess who hehad thought loved him -- she too had been merely mocking athis ugliness, and making merry over his twisted limbs. Whyhad they not left him in the forest, where there was nomirror to tell him how loathsome he was? Why had his fathernot killed him, rather than sell him to his shame? The hottears poured down his cheeks, and he tore the white rose topieces. The sprawling monster did the same, and scattered thefaint petals in the air. It grovelled on the ground, and,when he looked at it, it watched him with a face drawn withpain. He crept away, lest he should see it, and covered hiseyes with his hands. He crawled, like some wounded thing,into the shadow, and lay there moaning.

And at that moment the Infanta herself came in with hercompanions through the open window, and when they saw theugly little dwarf lying on the ground and beating the floorwith his clenched hands, in the most fantastic andexaggerated manner, they went off into shouts of happylaughter, and stood all round him and watched him.

'His dancing was funny,' said the Infanta; 'but his acting isfunnier still. Indeed he is almost as good as the puppets,only of course not quite so natural.' And she fluttered herbig fan, and applauded.

But the little Dwarf never looked up, and his sobs grewfainter and fainter, and suddenly he gave a curious gasp, andclutched his side. And then he fell back again, and lay quitestill.

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'That is capital,' said the Infanta, after a pause; 'but nowyou must dance for me.'

'Yes,' cried all the children, 'you must get up and dance,for you are as clever as the Barbary apes, and much moreridiculous.' But the little Dwarf made no answer.

And the Infanta stamped her foot, and called out to heruncle, who was walking on the terrace with the Chamberlain,reading some despatches that had just arrived from Mexico,where the Holy Office had recently been established. 'Myfunny little dwarf is sulking,' she cried, 'you must wake himup, and tell him to dance for me.'

They smiled at each other, and sauntered in, and Don Pedrostooped down, and slapped the Dwarf on the cheek with hisembroidered glove. 'You must dance,' he said, 'petit monstre.You must dance. The Infanta of Spain and the Indies wishes tobe amused.'

But the little Dwarf never moved.

'A whipping master should be sent for,' said Don Pedrowearily, and he went back to the terrace. But the Chamberlainlooked grave, and he knelt beside the little dwarf, and puthis hand upon his heart. And after a few moments he shruggedhis shoulders, and rose up, and having made a low bow to theInfanta, he said:

'Mi bella Princesa, your funny little dwarf will never danceagain. It is a pity, for he is so ugly that he might havemade the King smile.'

'But why will he not dance again?' asked the Infanta,laughing.

'Because his heart is broken,' answered the Chamberlain.

And the Infanta frowned, and her dainty rose-leaf lips curledin pretty disdain. 'For the future let those who come to playwith me have no hearts,' she cried, and she ran out into thegarden.

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THE STAR-CHILD

ONCE upon a time two poor Woodcutters were making their wayhome through a great pine-forest. It was winter, and a nightof bitter cold. The snow lay thick upon the ground, and uponthe branches of the trees: the frost kept snapping the littletwigs on either side of them, as they passed: and when theycame to the Mountain-Torrent she was hanging motionless inair, for the Ice-King had kissed her. So cold was it thateven the animals and the birds did not know what to make ofit.

'Ugh!' snarled the Wolf as he limped through the brushwoodwith his tail between his legs, 'this is perfectly monstrousweather. Why doesn't the Government look to it?'

'Weet! weet! weet! twittered the green Linnets, 'the oldEarth is dead, and they have laid her out in her whiteshroud.'

'The Earth is going to be married, and this is her bridaldress,' whispered the Turtle-doves to each other. Theirlittle pink feet were quite frost-bitten, but they felt thatit was their duty to take a romantic view of the situation.

'Nonsense!' growled the Wolf. 'I tell you that it is all thefault of the Government, and if you don't believe me I shalleat you.' The Wolf had a thoroughly practical mind, and wasnever at a loss for a good argument.

'Well, for my own part, said the Woodpecker, who was a bornphilosopher, 'I don't care an atomic theory for explanations.If a thing is so, it is so, and at present it is terriblycold.'

Terribly cold it certainly was. The little Squirrels, wholived inside the tall fir-tree, kept rubbing each other'snoses to keep themselves warm, and the Rabbits curledthemselves up in their holes, and did not venture even tolook out of doors. The only people who seemed to enjoy itwere the great horned Owls. Their feathers were quite stiffwith rime, but they did not mind, and they rolled their largeyellow eyes, and called out to each other across the forest,'Tu-whit! Tu-whoo! Tu-whit! Tu-whoo! what delightful weatherwe are having!'

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On and on went the two Woodcutters, blowing lustily upontheir fingers, and stamping with their huge iron-shod bootsupon the caked snow. Once they sank into a deep drift, andcame out as white as millers are, when the stones aregrinding; and once they slipped on the hard smooth ice wherethe marsh-water was frozen, and their faggots tell out oftheir bundles, and they had to pick them up and bind themtogether again; and once they thought that they had losttheir way, and a great terror seized on them, for they knewthat the Snow is cruel to those who sleep in her arms. Butthey put their trust in the good Saint Martin, who watchesover all travellers, and retraced their steps, and wentwarily, and at last they reached the outskirts of the forest,and saw, far down in the valley beneath them, the lights ofthe village in which they dwelt.

So overjoyed were they at their deliverance that they laughedaloud, and the Earth seemed to them like a flower of silver,and the Moon like a flower of gold.

Yet, after that they had laughed they became sad, for theyremembered their poverty, and one of them said to the other,'Why did we make merry, seeing that life is for the rich, andnot for such as we are? Better that we had died of cold inthe forest, or that some wild beast had fallen upon us andslain us.'

'Truly,' answered his companion, much is given to some, andlittle is given to others. Injustice has parcelled out theworld, nor is there equal division of aught save of sorrow.'

But as they were bewailing their misery to each other thisstrange thing happened. There fell from heaven a very brightand beautiful star. It slipped down the side of the sky,passing by the other stars in its course, and, as theywatched it wondering, it seemed to them to sink behind aclump of willow-trees that stood hard by a little sheep-foldno more than a stone's throw away.

'Why! there is a crock of gold for whoever finds it,' theycried, and they set to and ran, so eager were they for thegold.

And one of them ran taster than his mate, and outstrippedhim, and forced his way through the willows, and came out onthe other side, and lo! there was indeed a thing of goldlying on the white snow. So he hastened towards it, andstooping down placed his hands upon it, and it was a cloak of

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golden tissue, curiously wrought with stars, and wrapped inmany folds. And he cried out to his comrade that he had foundthe treasure that had fallen from the sky, and when hiscomrade had come up, they sat them down in the snow, andloosened the folds of the cloak that they might divide thepieces of gold. But, alas! no gold was in it, nor silver,nor, indeed, treasure of any kind, but only a little childwho was asleep.

And one of them said to the other: 'This is a bitter endingto our hope, nor have we any good fortune, for what doth achild profit to a man? Let us leave it here, and go our way,seeing that we are poor men, and have children of our ownwhose bread we may not give to another.'

But his companion answered him: 'Nay, but it were an evilthing to leave the child to perish here in the snow, andthough I am as poor as thou art, and have many mouths tofeed, and but little in the pot, yet will I bring it homewith me, and my wife shall have care of it.'

So very tenderly he took up the child, and wrapped the cloakaround it to shield it from the harsh cold, and made his waydown the hill to the village, his comrade marvelling much athis foolishness and softness of heart.

And when they came to the village, his comrade said to him,'Thou hast the child, therefore give me the cloak, for it ismeet that we should share.'

But he answered him: 'Nay, for the cloak is neither mine northine, but the child's only,' and he bade him Godspeed, andwent to his own house and knocked.

And when his wife opened the door and saw that her husbandhad returned safe to her, she put her arms round his neck andkissed him, and took front his back the bundle of faggots,and brushed the snow off his boots, and bade him come in.

But he said to her, 'I have found something in the forest,and I have brought it to thee to have care of it,' and hestirred not from the threshold.

'What is it?' she cried. 'Show it to me, for the house isbare, and we have need of many things.' And he drew the cloakback, and showed her the sleeping child.

'Alack, goodman!' she murmured, 'have we not children enoughof our own, that thou must needs bring a changeling to sit by

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the hearth? And who knows if it will not bring us badfortune? And how shall we tend it?' And she was wroth againsthim.

'Nay, but it is a Star-Child,' he answered; and he told herthe strange manner of the finding of it.

But she would not be appeased, but mocked at him, and spokeangrily, and cried: 'Our children lack bread, and shall wefeed the child of another? Who is there who careth for us?And who giveth us food?'

'Nay, but God careth for the sparrows even, and feedeththem,' he answered.

'Do not the sparrows die of hunger in the winter?' she asked.And is it not winter now?' And the man answered nothing, butstirred not from the threshold.

And a bitter wind from the forest came in through the opendoor, and made her tremble, and she shivered, and said tohim: 'Wilt thou not close the door? There cometh a bitterwind into the house, and I am cold.'

'Into a house where a heart is hard cometh there not always abitter wind?' he asked. And the woman answered him nothing,but crept closer to the fire.

And after a time she turned round and looked at him, and hereyes were full of tears. And he came in swiftly, and placedthe child in her arms, and she kissed it, and laid it in alittle bed where the youngest of their own children waslying. And on the morrow the Woodcutter took the curiouscloak of gold and placed it in a great chest, and a chain ofamber that was round the child's neck his wife took and setit in the chest also.

So the Star-Child was brought up with the children of theWoodcutter, and sat at the same board with them, and wastheir playmate. And every year he became more beautiful tolook at, so that all those who dwelt in the village werefilled with wonder, for, while they were swarthy and black-haired, he was white and delicate as sawn ivory, and hiscurls were like the rings of the daffodil. His lips, also,were like the petals of a red flower, and his eyes were likeviolets by a river of pure water, and his body like thenarcissus of a field where the mower comes not.

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Yet did his beauty work him evil. For he grew proud, andcruel, and selfish. The children of the Woodcutter, and theother children of the village, he despised, saying that theywere of mean parentage, while he was noble, being sprung froma Star, and he made himself master over them, and called themhis servants. No pity had he for the poor, or for those whowere blind or maimed or in any way afflicted, but would caststones at them and drive them forth on to the highway, andbid them beg their bread elsewhere, so that none save theoutlaws came twice to that village to ask for aims. Indeed,he was as one enamoured of beauty, and would mock at theweakly and ill-favoured, and make jest of them; and himselfhe loved, and in summer, when the winds were still, he wouldlie by the well in the priest's orchard and look down at themarvel of his own face, and laugh for the pleasure he had inhis fairness.

Often did the Woodcutter and his wife chide him, and say: 'Wedid not deal with thee as thou dealest with those who areleft desolate, and have none to succour them. Wherefore artthou so cruel to all who need pity?'

Often did the old priest send for him, and seek to teach himthe love of living things, saying to him: 'The fly is thybrother. Do it no harm. The wild birds that roam through theforest have their freedom. Snare them not for thy pleasure.God made the blind-worm and the mole, and each has its place.Who art thou to bring pain into God's world? Even the cattleof the field praise Him.'

But the Star-Child heeded not their words, but would frownand flout, and go back to his companions, and lead them. Andhis companions followed him, for he was fair, and fleet offoot, and could dance, and pipe, and make music. And whereverthe Star-Child led them they followed, and whatever the Star-Child bade them do, that did they. And when he pierced with asharp reed the dim eyes of the mole, they laughed, and whenhe cast stones at the leper they laughed also. And in allthings he ruled them, and they became hard of heart, even ashe was.

Now there passed one day through the village a poor beggar-woman. Her garments were torn and ragged, and her feet werebleeding from the rough road on which she had travelled, andshe was in very evil plight. And being weary she sat her downunder a chestnut-tree to rest.

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But when the Star-Child saw her, he said to his companions,'See! There sitteth a foul beggar-woman under that fair andgreen-leaved tree. Come, let us drive her hence, for she isugly and ill-favoured.'

So he came near and threw stones at her, and mocked her, andshe looked at him with terror in her eyes, nor did she moveher gaze from him. And when the Woodcutter, who was cleavinglogs in a haggard hard by, saw what the Star-Child was doing,he ran up and rebuked him, and said to him: 'Surely thou arthard of heart and knowest not mercy, for what evil has thispoor woman done to thee that thou should'st treat her in thiswise?'

And the Star-Child grew red with anger, and stamped his footupon the ground, and said, 'Who art thou to question me whatI do? I am no son of thine to do thy bidding.'

'Thou speakest truly,' answered the Woodcutter, 'yet did Ishow thee pity when I found thee in the forest.'

And when the woman heard these words she gave a loud cry, andfell into a swoon. And the Woodcutter carried her to his ownhouse, and his wife had care of her, and when she rose upfrom the swoon into which she had fallen, they set meat anddrink before her, and bade her have comfort.

But she would neither eat nor drink, but said to theWoodcutter, 'Didst thou not say that the child was found inthe forest? And was it not ten years from this day?'

And the Woodcutter answered, 'Yea, it was in the forest thatI found him, and it is ten years from this day.'

'And what signs didst thou find with him?' she cried. 'Barehe not upon his neck a chain of amber? Was not round him acloak of gold tissue broidered with stars?'

'Truly,' answered the Woodcutter, 'it was even as thousayest.' And he took the cloak and the amber chain from thechest where they lay, and showed them to her.

And when she saw them she wept for joy, and said, 'He is mylittle son whom I lost in the forest. I pray thee send forhim quickly, for in search of him have I wandered over thewhole world.'

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So the Woodcutter and his wife went out and called to theStar-Child, and said to him, 'Go into the house, and thereshalt thou find thy mother, who is waiting for thee.'

So he ran in, filled with wonder and great gladness. But whenhe saw her who was waiting there, he laughed scornfully andsaid, 'Why, where is my mother? For I see none here but thisvile beggar-woman.'

And the woman answered him, 'I am thy mother.'

'Thou art mad to say so,' cried the Star-Child angrily. 'I amno son of thine, for thou art a beggar, and ugly, and inrags. Therefore get thee hence, and let me see thy foul faceno more.'

'Nay, but thou art indeed my little son, whom I bare in theforest,' she cried, and she fell on her knees, and held outher arms to him. 'The robbers stole thee from me, and leftthee to die,' she murmured, 'but I recognized thee when I sawthee, and the signs also have I recognized, the cloak ofgolden tissue and the amber-chain. Therefore I pray thee comewith me, for over the whole world have I wandered in searchof thee. Come with me, my son, for I have need of thy love.'

But the Star-Child stirred not from his place, but shut thedoors of his heart against her, nor was there any sound heardsave the sound of the woman weeping for pain.

And at last he spoke to her, and his voice was hard andbitter. 'If in very truth thou art my mother,' he said, 'ithad been better hadst thou stayed away, and not come here tobring me to shame, seeing that I thought I was the child ofsome Star and not a beggar's child, as thou tellest me that Iam. Therefore get thee hence, and let me see thee no more.'

'Alas! my son,' she cried, 'wilt thou not kiss me before Igo? For I have suffered much to find thee.'

'Nay,' said the Star-Child, 'but thou art too foul to look atand rather would I kiss the adder or the toad than thee.'

So the woman rose up, and went away into the forest weepingbitterly, and when the Star-Child saw that she had gone, hewas glad, and ran back to his playmates that he might playwith them.

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But when they beheld him coming, they mocked him and said,'Why, thou art as foul as the toad, and as loathsome as theadder. Get thee hence, for we will not suffer thee to playwith us,' and they drave him out of the garden.

And the Star-Child frowned and said to himself, 'What is thisthat they say to me? I will go to the well of water and lookinto it, and it shall tell me of my beauty.'

So he went to the well of water and looked into it, and lo!his face was as the face of a toad, and his body was scaledlike an adder. And he flung himself down on the grass andwept, and said to himself, 'Surely this has come upon me byreason of my sin. For I have denied my mother, and driven heraway, and been proud, and cruel to her. Wherefore I will goand seek her through the whole world, nor will I rest till Ihave found her.'

And there came to him the little daughter of the Woodcutter,and she put her hand upon his shoulder and said, 'What dothit matter if thou hast lost thy comeliness? Stay with us, andI will not mock at thee.'

And he said to her, 'Nay, but I have been cruel to my mother,and as a punishment has this evil been sent to me. WhereforeI must go hence, and wander through the world till I findher, and she give me her forgiveness.'

So he ran away into the forest and called out to his motherto come to him, but there was no answer. All day long hecalled to her, and when the sun set he lay down to sleep on abed of leaves, and the birds and the animals fled from him,as they remembered his cruelty, and he was alone save for thetoad that watched him, and the slow adder that crawled past.

And in the morning he rose up, and plucked some bitterberries from the trees and ate them, and took his way throughthe great wood, weeping sorely. And of everything that he methe made enquiry if perchance they had seen his mother.

He said to the Mole, 'Thou canst go beneath the earth. Tellme, is my mother there?'

And the Mole answered, 'Thou hast blinded mine eyes. Howshould I know?'

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He said to the Linnet, 'Thou canst fly over the tops of thetall trees, and canst see the whole world. Tell me, canstthou see my mother?'

And the Linnet answered, 'Thou hast clipt my wings for thypleasure. How should I fly?'

And to the little Squirrel who lived in the fir-tree, and waslonely, he said, 'Where is my mother?'

And the Squirrel answered, 'Thou hast slain mine. Dost thouseek to slay thine also?'

And the Star-Child wept and bowed his head, and prayedforgiveness of God's things, and went on through the forest,seeking for the beggar-woman. And on the third day he came tothe other side of the forest and went down into the plain.

And when he passed through the villages the children mockedhim, and threw stones at him, and the carlots would notsuffer him even to sleep in the byres lest he might bringmildew on the stored corn, so foul was he to look at, andtheir hired men drave him away, and there was none who hadpity on him. Nor could he hear anywhere of the beggar-womanwho was his mother, though for the space of three years hewandered over the world, and often seemed to see her on theroad in front of him, and would call to her, and run afterher till the sharp flints made his feet to bleed. Butovertake her he could not, and those who dwelt by the way didever deny that they had seen her, or any like to her, andthey made sport of his sorrow.

For the space of three years he wandered over the world, andin the world there was neither love nor loving-kindness norcharity for him, but it was even such a world as he had madefor himself in the days of his great pride.

And one evening he came to the gate of a strong-walled citythat stood by a river, and, weary and footsore though he was,he made to enter in. But the soldiers who stood on guarddropped their halberts across the entrance, and said roughlyto him, 'What is thy business in the city?'

'I am seeking for my mother,' he answered, 'and I pray ye tosuffer me to pass, for it may be that she is in this city.'

But they mocked at him, and one of them wagged a black beard,and set down his shield and cried, 'Of a truth, thy mother

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will not be merry when she sees thee, for thou art more ill-favoured than the toad of the marsh, or the adder that crawlsin the fen. Get thee gone. Get thee gone. Thy mother dwellsnot in this city.'

And another, who held a yellow banner in his hand, said tohim, 'Who is thy mother, and wherefore art thou seeking forher?'

And he answered, 'My mother is a beggar even as I am, and Ihave treated her evilly, and I pray ye to suffer me to passthat she may give me her forgiveness, if it be that shetarrieth in this city.' But they would not, and pricked himwith their spears.

And, as he turned away weeping, one whose armour was inlaidwith gilt flowers, and on whose helmet couched a lion thathad wings, came up and made enquiry of the soldiers who itwas who had sought entrance. And they said to him, 'It is abeggar and the child of a beggar, and we have driven himaway.'

'Nay,' he cried, laughing, 'but we will sell the foul thingfor a slave, and his price shall be the price of a bowl ofsweet wine.'

And an old and evil-visaged man who was passing by calledout, and said, 'I will buy him for that price,' and, when hehad paid the price, he took the Star-Child by the hand andled him into the city.

And after that they had gone through many streets they cameto a little door that was set in a wall that was covered witha pomegranate tree. And the old man touched the door with aring of graved jasper and it opened, and they went down fivesteps of brass into a garden filled with black poppies andgreen jars of burnt clay. And the old man took then from histurban a scarf of figured silk, and bound with it the eyes ofthe Star-Child, and drave him in front of him. And when thescarf was taken off his eyes, the Star-Child found himself ina dungeon, that was lit by a lantern of horn.

And the old man set before him some mouldy bread on atrencher and said, 'Eat,' and some brackish water in a cupand said, 'Drink,' and when he had eaten and drunk, the oldman went out, locking the door behind him and fastening itwith an iron chain.

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And on the morrow the old man, who was indeed the subtlest ofthe magicians of Libya and had learned his art from one whodwelt in the tombs of the Nile, came in to him and frowned athim, and said, 'In a wood that is nigh to the gate of thiscity of Giaours there are three pieces of gold. One is ofwhite gold, and another is of yellow gold, and the gold ofthe third one is red. To-day thou shalt bring me the piece ofwhite gold, and if thou bringest it not back, I will beatthee with a hundred stripes. Get thee away quickly, and atsunset I will be waiting for thee at the door of the garden.See that thou bringest the white gold, or it shall go in withthee, for thou art my slave, and I have bought thee for theprice of a bowl of sweet wine.' And he bound the eyes of theStar-Child with the scarf of figured silk, and led himthrough the house, and through the garden of poppies, and upthe five steps of brass. And having opened the little doorwith his ring he set him in the street.

And the Star-Child went out of the gate of the city, and cameto the wood of which the Magician had spoken to him.

Now this wood was very fair to look at from without, andseemed full of singing birds and of sweet-scented flowers,and the Star-Child entered it gladly. Yet did its beautyprofit him little, for wherever he went harsh briars andthorns shot up from the ground and encompassed him, and evilnettles stung him, and the thistle pierced him with herdaggers, so that he was in sore distress. Nor could heanywhere find the piece of white gold of which the Magicianhad spoken, though he sought for it from morn to noon, andfrom noon to sunset. And at sunset he set his face towardshome, weeping bitterly, for he knew what fate was in storefor him.

But when he had reached the outskirts of the wood, he heardfront a thicket a cry as of someone in pain. And forgettinghis own sorrow he ran back to the place, and saw there alittle Hare caught in a trap that some hunter had set for it.

And the Star-Child had pity on it, and released it, and saidto it, 'I am myself but a slave, yet may I give thee thyfreedom.'

And the Hare answered him, and said: 'Surely thou hast givenme freedom, and what shall I give thee in return?'

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And the Star-Child said to it, 'I am seeking for a piece ofwhite gold, nor can I anywhere find it, and if I bring it notto my master he will beat me.'

'Come thou with me,' said the Hare, 'and I will lead thee toit, for I know where it is hidden, and for what purpose.'

So the Star-Child went with the Hare, and lo! in the cleft ofa great oak-tree he saw the piece of white gold that he wasseeking. And he was filled with joy, and seized it, and saidto the Hare, 'The service that I did to thee thou hastrendered back again many times over and the kindness that Ishowed thee thou hast repaid a hundredfold.'

'Nay,' answered the Hare, 'but as thou dealt with me, so Idid deal with thee,' and it ran away swiftly, and the Star-Child went towards the city.

Now at the gate of the city there was seated one who was aleper. Over his face hung a cowl of grey linen, and throughthe eyelets his eyes gleamed like red coals. And when he sawthe Star-Child coming, he struck upon a wooden bowl, andclattered his bell, and called out to him, and said, 'Give mea piece of money, or I must die of hunger. For they havethrust me out of the city, and there is no one who has pityon rite.'

'Alas! cried the Star-Child, 'I have but one piece of moneyin my wallet, and if I bring it not to my master he will beatme for I am his slave.'

But the leper entreated him, and prayed of him, till the Star-Child had pity, and gave him the piece of white gold.

And when he came to the Magician's house, the Magician openedto him, and brought him in, and said to him, 'Hast thou thepiece of white gold?' And the Star-Child answered, 'I have itnot.' So the Magician fell upon him, and beat him, and setbefore him an empty trencher, and said 'Eat,' and an emptycup, and said, 'Drink,' and flung him again into the dungeon.

And on the morrow the Magician came to him, and said, 'If to-day thou bringest me not the piece of yellow gold, I willsurely keep thee as my slave, and give thee three hundredstripes.'

So the Star-Child went to the wood, and all day long hesearched for the piece of yellow gold, but nowhere could he

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find it. And at sunset he sat him down and began to weep, andas he was weeping there came to him the little Hare that hehad rescued from the trap.

And the Hare said to him, 'Why art thou weeping? And whatdost thou seek in the wood?'

And the Star-Child answered, 'I am seeking for a piece ofyellow gold that is hidden here, and if I find it not mymaster will beat me, and keep me as a slave.'

'Follow me,' cried the Hare, and it ran through the wood tillit came to a pool of water. And at the bottom of the pool thepiece of yellow gold was lying.

'How shall I thank thee?' said the Star-Child, 'for lo! thisis the second time that you have succoured me.'

'Nay, but thou hadst pity on me first,' said the Hare, and itran away swiftly.

And the Star-Child took the piece of yellow gold, and put itin his wallet, and hurried to the city. But the leper saw himcoming, and ran to meet him and knelt down and cried, 'Giveme a piece of money or I shall die of hunger.'

And the Star-Child said to him, 'I have in my wallet but onepiece of yellow gold, and if I bring it not to my master hewill beat me and keep me as his slave.'

But the leper entreated him sore, so that the Star-Child hadpity on him, and gave him the piece of yellow gold.

And when he came to the Magician's house, the Magician openedto him, and brought him in, and said to him, 'Hast thou thepiece of yellow gold?' And the Star-Child said to him, 'Ihave it not.' So the Magician fell upon him, and beat him,and loaded him with chains, and cast him again into thedungeon.

And on the morrow the Magician came to him, and said, 'If to-day thou bringest me the piece of red gold I will set theefree, but if thou bringest it not I will surely slay thee.'

So the Star-Child went to the wood, and all day long hesearched for the piece of red gold, but nowhere could he findit. And at evening he sat him down, and wept, and as he wasweeping there came to him the little Hare.

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And the Hare said to him, 'The piece of red gold that thouseekest is in the cavern that is behind thee. Therefore weepno more but be glad.'

'How shall I reward thee,' cried the Star-Child, 'for lo!this is the third time thou hast succoured me.'

'Nay, but thou hadst pity on me first,' said the Hare, and itran away swiftly.

And the Star-Child entered the cavern, and in its farthestcorner he found the piece of red gold. So he put it in hiswallet, and hurried to the city. And the leper seeing himcoming, stood in the centre of the road, and cried out, andsaid to him, 'Give me the piece of red money, or I must die,'and the Star-Child had pity on him again, and gave him thepiece of red gold, saying, 'Thy need is greater than mine.'Yet was his heart heavy, for he knew what evil fate awaitedhim.

But lo! as he passed through the gate of the city, the guardsbowed down and made obeisance to him, saying, 'How beautifulis our lord!' and a crowd of citizens followed him, and criedout, 'Surely there is none so beautiful in the whole world!'so that the Star-Child wept, and said to himself, 'They aremocking me, and making light of my misery.' And so large wasthe concourse of the people, that he lost the threads of hisway, and found himself at last in a great square, in whichthere was a palace of a King.

And the gate of the palace opened, and the priests and thehigh officers of the city ran forth to meet him, and theyabased themselves before him, and said, 'Thou art our lordfor whom we have been waiting, and the sort of our King.'

And the Star-Child answered them and said, 'I am no king'sson, but the child of a poor beggar-woman. And how say yethat I am beautiful, for I know that I am evil to look at?'

Then he, whose armour was inlaid with gilt flowers, and onwhose helmet couched a lion that had wings, held up a shield,and cried, 'How saith my lord that he is not beautiful?'

And the Star-Child looked, and lo! his face was even as ithad been, and his comeliness had come back to him, and he sawthat in his eyes which he had not seen there before.

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And the priests and the high officers knelt down and said tohim, 'It was prophesied of old that on this day should comehe who was to rule over us. Therefore, let our lord take thiscrown and this sceptre, and be in his justice and mercy ourKing over us.'

But he said to them, 'I am not worthy, for I have denied themother who bare me, nor may I rest till I have found her, andknown her forgiveness. Therefore, let me go, for I mustwander again over the world, and may not tarry here, thoughye bring me the crown and the sceptre.' And as he spake heturned his face from them towards the street that led to thegate of the city, and lo! amongst the crowd that pressedround the soldiers, he saw the beggar-woman who wqs hismother, and at her side stood the leper, who had sat by theroad.

And a cry of joy broke from his lips, and he ran over, andkneeling down he kissed the wounds on his mother's feet, andwet them with his tears. He bowed his head in the dust, andsobbing, as one whose heart might break, he said to her:'Mother, I denied thee in the hour of my pride. Accept me inthe hour of my humility. Mother, I gave thee hatred. Do thougive me love. Mother, I rejected thee. Receive thy childnow.' But the beggar-woman answered him not a word.

And he reached out his hands, and clasped the white feet ofthe leper, and said to him: 'Thrice did I give thee of mymercy. Bid my mother speak to me once.' But the leperanswered him not a word.

And he sobbed again, and said: 'Mother, my suffering isgreater than I can bear. Give me thy forgiveness, and let mego back to the forest.' And the beggar-woman put her hand onhis head, and said to him, 'Rise,' and the leper put his handon his head, and said to him 'Rise,' also.

And he rose up from his feet, and looked at them, and lo!they were a King and a Queen.

And the Queen said to him, 'This is thy father whom thou hastsuccoured.'

And the King said, 'This is thy mother, whose feet thou hastwashed with thy tears.'

And they fell on his neck and kissed him, and brought himinto the palace, and clothed him in fair raiment, and set the

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crown upon his head, and the sceptre in his hand, and overthe city that stood by the river he ruled, and was its lord.'Much justice and mercy did he show to all, and the evilMagician he banished, and to the Woodcutter and his wife hesent many rich gifts, and to their children he gave highhonour. Nor would he suffer any to be cruel to bird or beast,but taught love and loving-kindness and charity, and to thepoor he gave bread, and to the naked he gave raiment, andthere was peace and plenty in the land.

Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering, andso bitter the fire of his testing, for after the space ofthree years he died. And he who came after him ruled evilly.

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THE FISHERMAN AND HIS SOUL

EVERY evening the young Fisherman went out upon the sea, andthrew his nets into the water.

When the wind blew from the land he caught nothing, or butlittle at best, for it was a bitter and black-winged wind,and rough waves rose up to meet it. But when the wind blew tothe shore, the fish came in from the deep, and swam into themeshes of his nets, and he took them to the market-place andsold them.

Every evening he went out upon the sea, and one evening thenet was so heavy that hardly could he draw it into the boat.And he laughed, and said to himself 'Surely I have caught allthe fish that swim, or snared some dull monster that will bea marvel to men, or some thing of horror that the great Queenwill desire,' and putting forth all his strength, he tuggedat the coarse ropes till, like lines of blue enamel round avase of bronze, the long veins rose up on his arms. He tuggedat the thin ropes, and nearer and nearer came the circle offlat corks, and the net rose at last to the top of the water.

But no fish at all was in it, nor any monster or thing ofhorror, but only a little Mermaid lying fast asleep.

Her hair was as a wet fleece of gold, and each separate hairas a thread of line gold in a cup of glass. Her body was aswhite ivory, and her tail was of silver and pearl. Silver andpearl was her tail, and the green weeds of the sea coiledround it; and like sea-shells were her ears, and her lipswere like sea-coral. The cold waves dashed over her coldbreasts, and the salt glistened upon her eyelids.

So beautiful was she that when the young Fisherman saw her hewas filled with wonder, and he put out his hand and drew thenet close to him, and leaning over the side he clasped her inhis arms. And when he touched her, she gave a cry like astartled sea-gull and woke, and looked at him in terror withher mauve-amethyst eyes, and struggled that she might escape.But he held her tightly to him, and would not suffer her todepart.

And when she saw that she could in no way escape from him,she began to weep, and said, 'I pray thee let me go, for I am

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the only daughter of a King, and my father is aged andalone.'

But the young Fisherman answered, 'I will not let thee gosave thou makest me a promise that whenever I call thee, thouwilt come and sing to me, for the fish delight to listen tothe song of the Sea-folk, and so shall my nets be full.'

'Wilt thou in very truth let me go, if I promise thee this?'cried the Mermaid.

'In very truth I will let thee go,' said the young Fisherman.So she made him the promise he desired, and sware it by theoath of the Sea-folk. And he loosened his arms from abouther, and she sank down into the water, trembling with astrange fear.

Every evening the young Fisherman went out upon the sea, andcalled to the Mermaid, and she rose out of the water and sangto him. Round and round her swam the dolphins, and the wildgulls wheeled above her head.

And she sang a marvellous song. For she sang of the Sea-folkwho drive their flocks from cave to cave, and carry thelittle calves on their shoulders; of the Tritons who havelong green beards, and hairy breasts, and blow throughtwisted conchs when the King passes by; of the palace of theKing which is all of amber, with a roof of clear emerald, anda pavement of bright pearl; and of the gardens of the seawhere the great filigrane fans of coral wave all day long,and the fish dart about like silver birds, and the anemonescling to the rocks, and the pinks bourgeon in the ribbedyellow sand. She sang of the big whales that come down fromthe north seas and have sharp icicles hanging to their fins;of the Sirens who tell of such wonderful things that themerchants have to stop their ears with wax lest they shouldhear them, and leap into the water and be drowned; of thesunken galleys with their tall masts, and the frozen sailorsclinging to the rigging, and the mackerel swimming in and outof the open portholes; of the little barnacles who are greattravellers, and cling to the keels of the ships and go roundand round the world; and of the cuttlefish who live in thesides of the cliffs and stretch out their long black arms,and can make night come when they will it. She sang of thenautilus who has a boat of her own that is carved out of anopal and steered with a silken sail; of the happy Mermen whoplay upon harps and can charm the great Kraken to sleep; ofthe little children who catch hold of the slippery porpoisesand ride laughing upon their backs; of the Mermaids who lie

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in the white foam and hold out their arms to the mariners;and of the sea-lions with their curved tusks, and the sea-horses with their floating manes.

And as she sang, all the funny-fish came in from the deep tolisten to her, and the young Fisherman threw his nets roundthem and caught them, and others he took with a spear. Andwhen his boat was well-laden, the Mermaid would sink downinto the sea, smiling at him.

Yet would she never come near him that he might touch her.Often times he called to her and prayed of her, but she wouldnot; and when he sought to seize her she dived into the wateras a seal might dive, nor did he see her again that day. Andeach day the sound of her voice became sweeter to his ears.So sweet was her voice that he forgot his nets and hiscunning, and had no care of his craft. Vermilion-finned andwith eyes of bossy gold, the tunnies went by in shoals, buthe heeded them not. His spear lay by his side unused, and hisbaskets of plaited osier were empty. With lips parted, andeyes dim with wonder, he sat idle in his boat and listened,listening till the sea-mists crept round him, and thewandering moon stained his brown limbs with silver.

And one evening he called to her, and said: 'Little Mermaid,little Mermaid, I love thee. Take me for thy bridegroom, forI love thee.'

But the Mermaid shook her head. 'Thou hast a human soul,' sheanswered. 'If only thou would'st send away thy soul, thencould I love thee.'

And the young Fisherman said to himself 'Of what use is mysoul to me? I cannot see it. I may not touch it. I do notknow it. Surely I will send it away from me, and muchgladness shall be mine.' And a cry of joy broke from hislips, and standing up in the painted boat, he held out hisarms to the Mermaid. 'I will send my soul away,' he cried,'and you shall be my bride, and I will be the bridegroom, andin the depth of the sea we will dwell together, and all thatthou hast sung of thou shalt show me, and all that thoudesirest I will do, nor shall our lives be divided.'

And the little Mermaid laughed for pleasure, and hid her facein her hands.

'But how shall I send my soul from me?' cried the youngFisherman. 'Tell me how I may do it, and lo! it shall bedone.'

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'Alas! I know not,' said the little Mermaid: 'the Sea-folkhave no souls.' And she sank down into the deep, lookingwistfully at him.

Now early on the next morning, before the sun was the span ofa man's hand above the hill, the young Fisherman went to thehouse of the Priest and knocked three times at the door.

The novice looked out through the wicket, and where he sawwho it was, he drew back the latch and said to him, 'Enter.'

And the young Fisherman passed in, and knelt down on thesweet-smelling rushes of the floor, and cried to the Priestwho was reading out of the Holy Book and said to him,'Father, I am in love with one of the Sea-folk, and my soulhindereth me from having my desire. Tell me how I can send mysoul away from me, for in truth I have no need of it. Of whatvalue is my soul to me? I cannot see it. I may not touch it.I do not know it.'

And the Priest beat his breast, and answered, 'Alack, Alack,thou art mad, or hast eaten of poisonous herb, for the soulis the noblest part of man, and was given to us by God thatwe should nobly use it. There is no thing more precious thana human soul, nor any earthly thing that can be weighed withit. It is worth all the gold that is in the world, and ismore precious than the rubies of the kings. Therefore, myson, think not any more of this matter, for it is a sin thatmay not be forgiven. And as for the Sea-folk, they are lost,and they who would traffic with them are lost also. They areas the beasts of the field that know not good from evil, andfor them the Lord has not died.'

The young Fisherman's eyes filled with tears when he heardthe bitter words of the Priest, and he rose up from his kneesand said to him, 'Father, the Fauns live in the forest andare glad, and on the rocks sit the Mermen with their harps ofred gold. Let me be as they are, I beseech thee, for theirdays are as the days of flowers. And as for my soul, whatdoth my soul profit me, if it stand between me and the thingthat I love?'

'The love of the body is vile,' cried the Priest, knittinghis brows, 'and vile and evil are the pagan things Godsuffers to wander through His world. Accursed be the Fauns ofthe woodland, and accursed be the singers of the sea! I haveheard them at night-time, and they have sought to lure mefrom my beads. They tap at the window, and laugh. They

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whisper into my ears the tale of their perilous joys. Theytempt me with temptations, and when I would pray they makemouths at me. They are lost, I tell thee, they are lost. Forthem there is no heaven nor hell, and in neither shall theypraise God's name.'

'Father,' cried the young Fisherman, 'thou knowest not whatthou sayest. Once in my net I snared the daughter of a King.She is fairer than the morning star, and whiter than themoon. For her body I would give my soul, and for her love Iwould surrender heaven. Tell me what I ask of thee, and letme go in peace.'

'Away! Away!' cried the Priest: 'thy leman is lost, and thoushalt be lost with her.' And he gave him no blessing, butdrove him from his door.

And the young Fisherman went down into the market-place, andhe walked slowly, and with bowed head, as one who is insorrow.

And when the merchants saw him coming, they began to whisperto each other, and one of them came forth to meet him, andcalled him by name, and said to him, 'What hast thou tosell?'

'I will sell thee my soul,' he answered: 'I pray thee buy itoff me, for I am weary of it. Of what use is my soul to me? Icannot see it. I may not touch it. I do not know it.'

But the merchants mocked at him, and said, 'Of what use is aman's soul to us? It is not worth a clipped piece of silver.Sell us thy body for a slave, and we will clothe thee in sea-purple, and put a ring upon thy finger, and make thee theminion of the great Queen. But talk not of the soul, for tous it is nought, nor has it any value for our service.'

And the young Fisherman said to himself: 'How strange a thingthis is! The Priest telleth me that the soul is worth all thegold in the world, and the merchants say that it is not wortha clipped piece of silver.' And he passed out of the market-place, and went down to the shore of the sea, and began toponder on what he should do.

And at noon he remembered how one of his companions, who wasa gatherer of samphire, had told him of a certain young Witchwho dwelt in a cave at the head of the bay and was verycunning in her witcheries. And he set to and ran, so eagerwas he to get rid of his soul, and a cloud of dust followed

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him as he sped round the sand of the shore. By the itching ofher palm the young Witch knew his coming, and she laughed andlet down her red hair. With her red hair falling around her,she stood at the opening of the cave, and in her hand she hada spray of wild hemlock that was blossoming.

'What d'ye lack? What d'ye lack?' she cried, as he camepanting up the steep, and bent down before her. 'Fish for thynet, when the wind is foul? I have a little reed-pipe, andwhen I blow on it the mullet come sailing into the bay. Butit has a price, pretty boy, it has a price. What d'ye lack?What d'ye lack? A storm to wreck the ships, and wash thechests of rich treasure ashore? I have more storms than thewind has, for I serve one who is stronger than the wind, andwith a sieve and a pail of water I can send the great galleysto the bottom of the sea. But I have a price, pretty boy, Ihave a price. What d'ye lack? What d'ye lack? I know a flowerthat grows in the valley, none knows it but I. It has purpleleaves, and a star in its heart, and its juice is as white asmilk. Should'st thou touch with this flower the hard lips ofthe Queen, she would follow thee all over the world. Out ofthe bed of the King she would rise, and over the whole worldshe would follow thee. And it has a price, pretty boy, it hasa price. What d'ye lack? What d'ye lack? I can pound a toadin a mortar, and make broth of it, and stir the broth with adead man's hand. Sprinkle it on thine enemy while he sleeps,and he will turn into a black viper, and hid own mother willslay him. With a wheel I can draw the Moon from heaven, andin a crystal I can show thee Death. What d'ye lack? What d'yelack? Tell me thy desire, and I will give it thee, and thoushalt pay me a price, pretty boy, thou shalt pay me a price.'

'My desire is but for a little thing,' said the youngFisherman, 'yet hath the Priest been wroth with me, anddriven me forth. It is but for a little thing, and themerchants have mocked at me, and denied me. Therefore am Icome to thee, though men call thee evil, and whatever be thyprice I shall pay it.'

'What would'st thou?' asked the Witch, coming near to him.

'I would send my soul away from me,' answered the youngFisherman.

The Witch grew pale, and shuddered, and hid her face in herblue mantle. 'Pretty boy, pretty boy,' she muttered, 'that isa terrible thing to do.'

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He tossed his brown curls and laughed. 'My soul is nought tome,' he answered. 'I cannot see it. I may not touch it. I donot know it.'

'What wilt thou give me if I tell thee?' asked the Witchlooking down at him with her beautiful eyes.

'Five pieces of gold,' he said, 'and my nets, and the wattledhouse where I live, and the painted boat in which I sail.Only tell me how to get rid of my soul, and I will give theeall that I possess.'

She laughed mockingly at him, and struck him with the sprayof hemlock. 'I can turn the autumn leaves into gold,' sheanswered, 'and I can weave the pale moonbeams into silver ifI will it. He whom I serve is richer than all the kings ofthis world and has their dominions.'

'What then shall I give thee,' he cried, 'if thy price beneither gold nor silver?'

The Witch stroked his hair with her thin white hand. 'Thoumust dance with me, pretty boy,' she murmured, and she smiledat him as she spoke.

'Nought but that?' cried the young Fisherman in wonder, andhe rose to his feet.

'Nought but that,' she answered, and she smiled at him again.

'Then at sunset in some secret place we shall dancetogether,' he said, 'and after that we have danced thou shalttell me the thing which I desire to know.'

She shook her head. 'When the moon is full, when the moon isfull,' she muttered. Then she peered all round, and listened.A blue bird rose screaming from its nest and circled over thedunes, and three spotted birds rustled through the coarsegrey grass and whistled to each other. There was no othersound save the sound of a wave fretting the smooth pebblesbelow. So she reached out her hand, and drew him near to herand put her dry lips close to his ear.

'To-night thou must come to the top of the mountain,' shewhispered. 'It is a Sabbath, and He will be there.'

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The young Fisherman started and looked at her, and she showedher white teeth and laughed. 'Who is He of whom thouspeakest?' he asked.

'It matters not,' she answered. 'Go thou to-night, and standunder the branches of the hornbeam, and wait for my coming.If a black dog run towards thee, strike it with a rod ofwillow, and it will go away. If an owl speak to thee, make itno answer. When the moon is full I shall be with thee, and wewill dance together on the grass.'

'But wilt thou swear to me to tell me how I may send my soulfrom me?' he made question.

She moved out into the sunlight, and through her red hairrippled the wind. 'By the hoofs of the goat I swear it,' shemade answer.

'Thou art the best of the witches,' cried the youngFisherman, 'and I will surely dance with thee to-night on thetop of the mountain. I would indeed that thou hadst asked ofme either gold or silver. But such as thy price is thou shalthave it, for it is but a little thing.' And he doffed his capto her, and bent his head low, and ran back to the townfilled with a great joy.

And the Witch watched him as he went, and when he had passedfrom her sight she entered her cave, and having taken amirror from a box of carved cedarwood, she set it up on aframe, and burned vervain on lighted charcoal before it, andpeered through the coils of the smoke. And after a time sheclenched her hands in anger. 'He should have been mine,' shemuttered, 'I am as fair as she is.'

And that evening, when the moon had risen, the youngFisherman climbed up to the top of the mountain, and stoodunder the branches of the hornbeam. Like a targe of polishedmetal the round sea lay at his feet, and the shadows of thefishing boats moved in the little bay. A great owl, withyellow sulphurous eyes, called to him by his name, but hemade it no answer. A black dog ran towards him and snarled.He struck it with a rod of willow, and it went away whining.

At midnight the witches came flying through the air likebats. 'Phew!' they cried, as they lit upon the ground, 'thereis someone here we know not!' and they sniffed about, andchattered to each other, and made signs. Last of all came theyoung Witch, with her red hair streaming in the wind. She

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wore a dress of gold tissue embroidered with peacocks' eyes,and a little cap of green velvet was on her head.

'Where is he, where is he?' shrieked the witches when theysaw her, but she only laughed, and ran to the hornbeam, andtaking the Fisherman by the hand she led him out into themoonlight and began to dance.

Round and round they whirled, and the young Witch jumped sohigh that he could see the scarlet heels of her shoes. Thenright across the dancers came the sound of the galloping of ahorse, but no horse was to be seen, and he felt afraid.

'Faster,' cried the Witch, and she threw her arms about hisneck, and her breath was hot upon his face. 'Faster, faster!'she cried, and the earth seemed to spin beneath his feet, andhis brain grew troubled, and a great terror fell on him, asof some evil thing that was watching him, and at last hebecame aware that under the shadow of a rock there was afigure that had not been there before.

It was a man dressed in a suit of black velvet, cut in theSpanish fashion. His face was strangely pale, but his lipswere like a proud red flower. He seemed weary, and wasleaning back toying in a listless manner with the pommel ofhis dagger. On the grass beside him' lay a plumed hat, and apair of riding gloves gauntleted with gilt lace, and sewnwith seed-pearls wrought into a curious device. A short cloaklined with sables hung from his shoulder, and his delicatewhite hands were gemmed with rings. Heavy eyelids droopedover his eyes. The young Fisherman watched him, as one snaredin a spell. At last their eyes met, and wherever he danced itseemed to him that the eyes of the man were upon him. Heheard the Witch laugh, and caught her by the waist, andwhirled her madly round and round.

Suddenly a dog bayed in the wood, and the dancers stopped,and going up two by two, knelt down, and kissed the man'shands. As they did so, a little smile touched his proud lips,as a bird's wing touches the water and makes it laugh. Butthere was disdain in it. He kept looking at the youngFisherman.

'Come! let us worship,' whispered the Witch, and she led himup, and a great desire to do as she besought him seized onhim, and he followed her. But when he came close, and withoutknowing why he did it, he made on his breast the sign of theCross, and called upon the holy name.

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No sooner had he done so than the witches screamed like hawksand flew away, and the pallid face that had been watching himtwitched with a spasm of pain. The man went over to a littlewood, and whistled. A jennet with silver trappings camerunning to meet him. As he leapt upon the saddle he turnedround, and looked at the young Fisherman sadly.

And the Witch with the red hair tried to fly away also, butthe Fisherman caught her by her wrists, and held her fast.'Loose me,' she cried, 'and let me go. For thou hast namedwhat should not be named, and shown the sign that may not belooked at.'

'Nay,' he answered, 'but I will not let thee go till thouhast told me the secret.'

'What secret?' said the Witch, wrestling with him like a wildcat, and biting her foam-flecked lips.

'Thou knowest,' he made answer.

Her grass-green eyes grew dim with tears, and she said to theFisherman, 'Ask me anything but that!'

He laughed, and held her all the more tightly.

And when she saw that she could not free herself shewhispered to him, 'Surely I am as fair as the daughters ofthe sea, and as comely as those that dwell in the bluewaters,' and she fawned on him and put her face close to his.

But he thrust her back frowning, and said to her, 'If thoukeepest not the promise that thou madest to me I will slaythee for a false witch.'

She grew grey as a blossom of the Judas tree, and shuddered.'Be it so,' she muttered. 'It is thy soul and not mine. Dowith it as thou wilt.' And she took from her girdle a littleknife that had a handle of green viper's skin, and gave it tohim.

'What shall this serve me?' he asked of her wondering.

She was silent for a few moments, and a look of terror cameover her face. Then she brushed her hair back from herforehead, and smiling strangely she said to him, 'What mencall the shadow of the body is not the shadow of the body,but is the body of the soul. Stand on the sea-shore with thy

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back to the moon, and cut away from around thy feet thyshadow, which is thy soul's body, and bid thy soul leavethee, and it will do so.'

The young Fisherman trembled. 'Is this true?' he murmured.

'It is true, and I would that I had not told thee of it,' shecried, and she clung to his knees weeping.

He put her from him and left her in the rank grass, and goingto the edge of the mountain he placed the knife in his belt,and began to climb down.

And his Soul that was within him called out to him and said,'Lo! I have dwelt with thee for all these years, and havebeen thy servant. Send me not away from thee now, for whatevil have I done thee?'

And the young Fisherman laughed. 'Thou has done me no evil,but I have no need of thee,' he answered. 'The world is wide,and there is Heaven also, and Hell, and that dim twilighthouse that lies between. Go wherever thou wilt, but troubleme not, for my love is calling to me.'

And his Soul besought him piteously, but he heeded it not,but leapt from crag to crag, being sure-footed as a wildgoat, and at last he reached the level ground and the yellowshore of the sea.

Bronze-limbed and well-knit, like a statue wrought by aGrecian, he stood on the sand with his back to the moon, andout of the foam came white arms that beckoned to him, and outof the waves rose dim forms that did him homage. Before himlay his shadow, which was the body of his soul, and behindhim hung the moon in the honey-coloured air.

And his Soul said to him, 'If indeed thou must drive me fromthee, send me not forth without a heart. The world is cruel,give me thy heart to take with me.'

He tossed his head and smiled. 'With what should I love mylove if I gave thee my heart?' he cried.

'Nay, but be merciful,' said his Soul: 'give me thy heart,for the world is very cruel, and I am afraid.'

'My heart is my love's,' he answered, 'therefore tarry not,but get thee gone.'

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'Should I not love also?' asked his Soul.

'Get thee gone, for I have no need of thee,' cried the youngFisherman, and he took the little knife with its handle ofgreen viper's skin, and cut away his shadow from around hisfeet, and it rose up and stood before him, and looked at him,and it was even as himself.

He crept back, and thrust the knife into his belt, and afeeling of awe came over him. 'Get thee gone,' he murmured,'and let me see thy face no more.'

'Nay, but we must meet again,' said the Soul. Its voice waslow and flute-like, and its lips hardly moved while it spake.

'How shall we meet?' cried the young Fisherman. 'Thou wiltnot follow me into the depths of the sea?'

'Once every year I will come to this place, and call tothee,' said the Soul. 'It may be that thou wilt have need ofme.'

'What need should I have of thee?' cried the young Fisherman,'but be it as thou wilt,' and he plunged into the water, andthe Tritons blew their horns, and the little Mermaid rose upto meet him, and put her arms around his neck and kissed himon the mouth.

And the Soul stood on the lonely beach and watched them. Andwhen they had sunk down into the sea, it went weeping awayover the marshes.

And after a year was over the Soul came down to the shore ofthe sea and called to the young Fisherman, and he rose out ofthe deep, and said, 'Why dost thou call to me?'

And the Soul answered, 'Come nearer, that I may speak withthee, for I have seen marvellous things.'

So he came nearer, and couched in the shallow water, andleaned his head upon his hand and listened.

And the Soul said to him, 'When I left thee I turned my faceto the East and journeyed. From the East cometh everythingthat is wise. Six days I journeyed, and on the morning of theseventh day I came to a hill that is in the country of theTartars. I sat down under the shade of a tamarisk tree toshelter myself from the sun. The land was dry, and burnt up

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with the heat. The people went to and fro over the plain likeflies crawling upon a disk of polished copper.

'When it was noon a cloud of red dust rose up from the flatrim of the land. When the Tartars saw it, they strung theirpainted bows, and having leapt upon their little horses theygalloped to meet it. The women fled screaming to the waggons,and hid themselves behind the felt curtains.

'At twilight the Tartars returned, but five of them weremissing, and of those that came back not a few had beenwounded. They harnessed their horses to the waggons and drovehastily away. Three jackals came out of a cave and peeredafter them. Then they sniffed up the air with their nostrils,and trotted off in the opposite direction.

'When the moon rose I saw a camp-fire burning on the plain,and went towards it. A company of merchants were seated roundit on carpets. Their camels were picketed behind them, andthe negroes who were their servants were pitching tents oftanned skin upon the sand, and making a high wall of theprickly pear.

'As I came near them, the chief of the merchants rose up anddrew his sword, and asked me my business.

'I answered that I was a Prince in my own land, and that Ihad escaped from the Tartars, who had sought to make me theirslave. The chief smiled, and showed me five heads fixed uponlong reeds of bamboo.

'Then he asked me who was the prophet of God, and I answeredhim Mohammed.

'When he heard the name of the false prophet, he bowed andtook me by the hand, and placed me by his side. A negrobrought me some mare's milk in a wooden-dish, and a piece oflamb's flesh roasted.

'At daybreak we started on our journey. I rode on a red-haired camel by the side of the chief, and a runner ranbefore us carrying a spear. The men of war were on eitherhand, and the mules followed with the merchandise. There wereforty camels in the caravan, and the mules were twice fortyin number.

'We went from the country of the Tartars into the country ofthose who curse the Moon. We saw the Gryphons guarding theirgold on the white rocks, and the scaled Dragons sleeping in

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their caves. As we passed over the mountains we held ourbreath lest the snows might fall on us, and each man tied aveil of gauze before his eyes. As we passed through thevalleys the Pygmies shot arrows at us from the hollows of thetrees, and at night time we heard the wild men beating ontheir drums. When we came to the Tower of Apes we set fruitsbefore them, and they did not harm us. When we came to theTower of Serpents we gave them warm milk in bowls of brass,and they let us go by. Three times in our journey we came tothe banks of the Oxus. We crossed it on rafts of wood withgreat bladders of blown hide. The river-horses raged againstus and sought to slay us. When the camels saw them theytrembled.

'The kings of each city levied tolls on us, but would notsuffer us to enter their gates. They threw us bread over thewalls, little maize-cakes baked in honey and cakes of fineflour filled with dates. For every hundred baskets we gavethem a bead of amber.

'When the dwellers in the villages saw us coming, theypoisoned the wells and fled to the hill-summits. We foughtwith the Magadae who are born old, and grow younger andyounger every year, and die when they are little children;and with the Laktroi who say that they are the sons oftigers, and paint themselves yellow and black; and with theAurantes who bury their dead on the tops of trees, andthemselves live in dark caverns lest the Sun, who is theirgod, should slay them; and with the Krimnians who worship acrocodile, and give it earrings of green glass, and feed itwith butter and fresh fowls; and with the Agazonbae, who aredog-faced; and with the Sibans, who have horses' feet, andrun more swiftly than horses. A third of our company died inbattle, and a third died of want. The rest murmured againstme, and said that I had brought them an evil fortune. I tooka horned adder from beneath a stone and let it sting me. Whenthey saw that I did not sicken they grew afraid.

'In the fourth month we reached the city of Illel. It wasnight time when we came to the grove that is outside thewalls, and the air was sultry, for the Moon was travelling inScorpion. We took the ripe pomegranates from the trees, andbrake them and drank their sweet juices. Then we lay down onour carpets and waited for the dawn.

'And at dawn we rose and knocked at the gate of the city. Itwas wrought out of red bronze, and carved with sea-dragonsand dragons that have wings. The guards looked down from thebattlements and asked us our business. The interpreter of the

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caravan answered that we had come from the island of Syriawith much merchandise. They took hostages, and told us thatthey would open the gate to us at noon, and bade us tarrytill then.

'When it was noon they opened the gate, and as we entered inthe people came crowding out of the houses to look at us, anda crier went round the city crying through a shell. We stoodin the market-place, and the negroes uncorded the bales offigured cloths and opened the carved chests of sycamore. Andwhen they had ended their task, the merchants set forth theirstrange wares, the waxed linen from Egypt and the paintedlinen from the country of the Ethiops, the purple spongesfrom Tyre and the blue hangings from Sidon, the cups of coldamber and the fine vessels of glass and the curious vesselsof burnt clay. From the roof of a house a company of womenwatched us. One of them wore a mask of gilded leather.

'And on the first day the priests came and bartered with us,and on the second day came the nobles, and on the third daycame the craftsmen and the slaves. And this is their customwith all merchants as long as they tarry in the city.

'And we tarried for a moon, and when the moon was waning, Iwearied and wandered away through the streets of the city andcame to the garden of its god. The priests in their yellowrobes moved silently through the green trees, and on apavement of black marble stood the rose-red house in whichthe god had his dwelling. Its doors were of powdered lacquer,and bulls and peacocks were wrought on them in raised andpolished gold. The tiled roof was of sea-green porcelain, andthe jutting eaves were festooned with little bells. When thewhite doves flew past, they struck the bells with their wingsand made them tinkle.

'In front of the temple was a pool of clear water paved withveined onyx. I lay down beside it, and with my pale fingers Itouched the broad leaves. One of the priests came towards meand stood behind me. He had sandals on his feet, one of softserpent-skin and the other of birds' plumage. On his head wasa mitre of black felt decorated with silver crescents. Sevenyellows were woven into his robe, and his frizzed hair wasstained with antimony.

'After a little while he spake to me, and asked me my desire.'I told him that my desire was to see the god.

"'The god is hunting," said the priest, looking strangely atme with his small slanting eyes.

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"'Tell me in what forest, and I will ride with him," Ianswered.

'He combed out the soft fringes of his tunic with his longpointed nails. "The god is asleep," he murmured.

"'Tell me on what couch, and I will watch by him," Ianswered.

"'The god is at the feast," he cried.

"'If the wine be sweet I will drink it with him, and if it bebitter I will drink it with him also," was my answer.

'He bowed his head in wonder, and, taking me by the hand, heraised me up, and led me into the temple.

'And in the first chamber I saw an idol seated on a throne ofjasper bordered with great orient pearls. It was carved outof ebony, and in stature was of the stature of a man. On itsforehead was a ruby, and thick oil dripped from its hair onto its thighs. Its feet were red with the blood of a newly-slain kid, and its loins girt with a copper belt that wasstudded with seven beryls.

'And I said to the priest, "Is this the god?" And he answeredme, "This is the god."

"'Show me the god," I cried, "or I will surely slay thee."And I touched his hand, and it became withered.

'And the priest besought me, saying, "Let my lord heal hisservant, and I will show him the god."

'So I breathed with my breath upon his hand, and it becamewhole again, and he trembled and led me into the secondchamber, and I saw an idol standing on a lotus of jade hungwith great emeralds. It was carved out of ivory, and instature was twice the stature of a man. On its forehead was achrysolite, and its breasts were smeared with myrrh andcinnamon. In one hand it held a crooked sceptre of jade, andin the other a round crystal. It ware buskins of brass, andits thick neck was circled with a circle of selenites.

'And I said to the priest, "Is this the god?" And he answeredme. "This is the god."

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"'Show me the god," I cried, "or I will surely slay thee."And I touched his eyes, and they became blind.

'And the priest besought me, saying, "Let my lord heal hisservant, and I will show him the god."

'So I breathed with my breath upon his eyes, and the sightcame back to them, and he trembled again, and led me into thethird chamber, and lo! there was no idol in it, nor image ofany kind, but only a mirror of round metal set on an altar ofstone.

'And I said to the priest, "Where is the god?"

'And he answered me: "There is no god but this mirror thatthou seest, for this is the Mirror of Wisdom. And itreflecteth all things that are in heaven and on earth, saveonly the face of him who looketh into it. This it reflectethnot, so that he who looketh into it may be wise. Many othermirrors are there, but they are mirrors of Opinion. This onlyis the Mirror of Wisdom. And they who possess this mirrorknow everything, nor is there anything hidden from them. Andthey who possess it not have not Wisdom. Therefore is it thegod, and we worship it." And I looked into the mirror, and itwas even as I he had said to me.

'And I did a strange thing, but what I did matters not, forin a valley that is but a day's journey from this place haveI hidden the Mirror of Wisdom. Do but suffer me to enter intothee again and be thy servant, and thou shalt be wiser thanall the wise men, and Wisdom shall be thine. Suffer me toenter into thee, and none will be as wise as thou.' But theyoung Fisherman laughed. 'Love is better than Wisdom,' hecried, 'and the little Mermaid loves me.'

'Nay, but there is nothing better than Wisdom,' said theSoul.

'Love is better,' answered the young Fisherman, and heplunged into the deep, and the Soul went weeping away overthe marshes.

And after the second year was over the Soul came down to theshore of the sea, and called to the young Fisherman, and herose out of the deep and said, 'Why dost thou call to me?'

And the Soul answered, 'Come nearer that I may speak withthee, for I have seen marvellous things.'

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So he came nearer, and couched in the shallow water, andleaned his head upon his hand and listened.

And the Soul said to him, 'When I left thee, I turned my faceto the South and journeyed. From the South cometh every thingthat is precious. Six days I journeyed along the highwaysthat lead to the city of Ashter, along the dusty red-dyedhighways by which the pilgrims are wont to go did I journey,and on the morning of the seventh day I lifted up my eyes,and lo! the city lay at my feet, for it is in a valley.

'There are nine gates to this city, and in front of each gatestands a bronze horse that neighs when the Bedouins come downfrom the mountains. The walls are cased with copper, and thewatch-towers on the walls are roofed with brass. In everytower stands an archer with a bow in his hand. At sunrise hestrikes with an arrow on a gong, and at sunset he blowsthrough a horn of horn.

'When I sought to enter, the guards stopped me and asked ofme who I was. I made answer that I was a Dervish and on myway to the city of Mecca, where there was a green veil onwhich the Koran was embroidered in silver letters by thehands of the angels. They were filled with wonder, andentreated me to pass in.

'Inside it is even as a bazaar. Surely thou should'st havebeen with me. Across the narrow streets the gay lanterns ofpaper flutter like large butterflies. When the wind blowsover the roofs they rise and fall as painted bubbles do. Infront of their booths sit the merchants on silken carpets.They have straight black beards, and their turbans arecovered with golden sequins, and long strings of amber andcarved peach-stones glide through their cool fingers. Some ofthem sell galbanum and nard, and curious perfumes from theislands of the Indian Sea, and the thick oil of red roses andmyrrh and little nail-shaped cloves. When one stops to speakto them, they throw pinches of frankincense upon a charcoalbrazier and make the air sweet. I saw a Syrian who held inhis hands a thin rod like a reed. Grey threads of smoke camefrom it, and its odour as it burned was as the odour of thepink almond in spring. Others sell silver bracelets embossedall over with creamy blue turquoise stones, and anklets ofbrass wire fringed with little pearls, and tigers' claws setin gold, and the claws of that gilt cat, the leopard, set ingold also, and earrings of pierced emerald, and finger-ringsof hollowed jade. From the tea-houses comes the sound of the

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guitar, and the opium-smokers with their white smiling faceslook out at the passers-by.

'Of a truth thou should'st have been with me. The wine-sellers elbow their way through the crowd with great blackskins on their shoulders. Most of them sell the wine ofSchiraz, which is as sweet as honey. They serve it in littlemetal cups and strew rose leaves upon it. In the market-placestand the fruitsellers, who sell all kinds of fruit: ripefigs, with their bruised purple flesh, melons, smelling ofmusk and yellow as topazes, citrons and rose-apples andclusters of white grapes, round red-gold oranges, and ovallemons of green gold. Once I saw an elephant go by. Its trunkwas painted with vermilion and turmeric, and over its ears ithad a net of crimson silk cord. It stopped opposite one ofthe booths and began eating the oranges, and the man onlylaughed. Thou canst not think how strange a people they are.When they are glad they go to the bird-sellers and buy ofthem a caged bird, and set it free that their joy may begreater, and when they are sad they scourge themselves withthorns that their sorrow may not grow less.

'One evening I met some negroes carrying a heavy palanquinthrough the bazaar. It was made of gilded bamboo, and thepoles were of vermilion lacquer studded with brass peacocks.Across the windows hung thin curtains of muslim embroideredwith beetles' wings and with tiny seed-pearls, and as itpassed by a pale-faced Circassian looked out and smiled atme. I followed behind, and the negroes hurried their stepsand scowled. But I did not care. I felt a great curiositycome over me.

'At last they stopped at a square white house. There were nowindows to it, only a little door like the door of a tomb.They set down the palanquin and knocked three times with acopper hammer. An Armenian in a caftan of green leatherpeered through the wicket, and when he saw them he opened,and spread a carpet on the ground, and the woman stepped out.As she went in, she turned round and smiled at me again. Ihad never seen anyone so pale.

'When the moon rose I returned to the same place and soughtfor the house, but it was no longer there. When I saw that, Iknew who the woman was, and wherefore she had smiled at me.

'Certainly thou should'st have been with me. On the feast ofthe New Moon the young Emperor came forth from his palace andwent into the mosque to pray. His hair and beard were dyedwith rose-leaves, and his cheeks were powdered with a fine

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gold dust. The palms of his feet and hands were yellow withsaffron.

'At sunrise he went forth from his palace in a robe ofsilver, and at sunset he returned to it again in a robe ofgold. The people flung themselves on the ground and hid theirfaces, but I would not do so. I stood by the stall of aseller of dates and waited. When the Emperor saw me, heraised his painted eyebrows and stopped. I stood quite still,and made him no obeisance. The people marvelled at myboldness, and counsel-led me to flee from the city. I paid noheed to them, but went and sat with the sellers of strangegods, who by reason of their craft are abominated. When Itold them what I had done, each of them gave me a god andprayed me to leave them.

'That night, as I lay on a cushion in the tea-house that isin the Street of Pomegranates, the guards of the Emperorentered and led me to the palace. As I went in they closedeach door behind me, and put a chain across it. Inside was agreat court with an arcade running all round. The walls wereof white alabaster, set here and there with blue and greentiles. The pillars were of green marble, and the pavement ofa kind of peach-blossom marble. I had never seen anythinglike it before.

'As I passed across the court two veiled women looked downfrom a balcony and cursed me. The guards hastened on, and thebutts of the lances rang upon the polished floor. They openeda gate of wrought ivory, and I found myself in a wateredgarden of seven terraces. It was planted with tulip-cups andmoonflowers, and silver-studded aloes. Like a slim reed ofcrystal a fountain hung in the dusky air. The cypress-treeswere like burnt-out torches. From one of them a nightingalewas singing.

'At the end of the garden stood a little pavilion. As weapproached it two eunuchs came out to meet us. Their fatbodies swayed as they walked, and they glanced curiously atme with their yellow-lidded eyes. One of them drew aside thecaptain of the guard, and in a low voice whispered to him.The other kept munching scented pastilles, which he took withan affected gesture out of an oval box of lilac enamel.

'After a few moments the captain of the guard dismissed thesoldiers. They went back to the palace, the eunuchs followingslowly behind and plucking the sweet mulberries from thetrees as they passed. Once the elder of the two turned round,and smiled at me with an evil smile.

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'Then the captain of the guard motioned me towards theentrance of the pavilion. I walked on without trembling, anddrawing the heavy curtain aside I entered in.

'The young Emperor was stretched on a couch of dyed lionskins, and a ger-falcon perched upon his wrist. Behind himstood a brass-turbaned Nubian, naked down to the waist, andwith heavy earrings in his split ears. On a table by the sideof the couch lay a mighty scimitar of steel.

'When the Emperor saw me he frowned, and said to me, "What isthy name? Knowest thou not that I am Emperor of this city?"But I made him no answer.

'He pointed with his finger at the scimitar, and the Nubianseized it, and rushing forward struck at me with greatviolence. The blade whizzed through me, and did me no hurt.The man fell sprawling on the floor, and, when he rose up,his teeth chattered with terror and he hid himself behind thecouch.

'The Emperor leapt to his feet, and taking a lance from astand of arms, he threw it at me. I caught it in its flight,and brake the shaft into two pieces. He shot at me with anarrow, but I held up my hands and it stopped in mid-air. Thenhe drew a dagger from a belt of white leather, and stabbedthe Nubian in the throat lest the slave should tell of hisdishonour. The man writhed like a trampled snake, and a redfoam bubbled from his lips.

'As soon as he was dead the Emperor turned to me, and when hehad wiped away the bright sweat from his brow with a littlenapkin of purfled and purple silk, he said to me, 'Art thou aprophet, that I may not harm thee, or the son of a prophetthat I can do thee no hurt? I pray thee leave my city tonight, for while thou art in it I am no longer its lord."

'And I answered him, "I will go for half of thy treasure.Give me half of thy treasure, and I will go away."

'He took me by the hand, and led me out into the garden. Whenthe captain of the guard saw me, he wondered. When theeunuchs saw me, their knees shook and they fell upon theground in fear.

'There is a chamber in the palace that has eight walls of redporphyry, and a brass-scaled ceiling hung with lamps. TheEmperor touched one of the walls and it opened, and we passed

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down a corridor that was lit with many torches. In nichesupon each side stood great wine-jars filled to the brim withsilver pieces. When we reached the centre of the corridor theEmperor spake the word that may not be spoken, and a granitedoor swung back on a secret spring, and he put his handsbefore his face lest his eyes should be dazzled.

'Thou could'st not believe how marvellous a place it was.There were huge tortoise-shells full of pearls, and hollowedmoonstones of great size piled up with red rubies. The goldwas stored in coffers of elephant-hide, and the gold-dust inleather bottles. There were opals and sapphires, the formerin cups of crystal, and the latter in cups of jade. Roundgreen emeralds were ranged in order upon thin plates ofivory, and in one corner were silk bags filled, some withturquoise-stones and others with beryls. The ivory horns wereheaped with purple amethysts, and the horns of brass withchalcedonies and sards. The pillars, which were of cedar,were hung with strings of yellow lynx-stones. In the flatoval shields there were carbuncles, both wine-coloured andcoloured like grass. And yet I have told thee but a tithe ofwhat was there.

'And when the Emperor had taken away his hands from beforehis face he said to me: "This is my house of treasure, andhalf that is in it is thine, even as I promised to thee. AndI will give thee camels and camel drivers, and they shall dothy bidding and take thy share of the treasure to whateverpart of the world thou desirest to go. And the thing shall bedone to night, for I would not that the Sun, who is myfather, should see that there is in my city a man whom Icannot slay."

'But I answered him, "The gold that is here is thine, and thesilver also is thine, and thine are the precious jewels andthe things of price. As for me, I have no need of these. Norshall I take aught from thee but that little ring that thouwearest on the finger of thy hand."

'And the Emperor frowned. "It is but a ring of lead," hecried, "nor has it any value. Therefore take thy half of thetreasure and go from my city."

"'Nay," I answered, "but I will take nought but that leadenring, for I know what is written within it, and for whatpurpose."

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'And the Emperor trembled, and besought me and said, "Takeall the treasure and go from my city. The half that is mineshall be thine also."

'And I did a strange thing, but what I did matters not, forin a cave that is but a day's journey from this place have Ihidden the Ring of Riches. It is but a day's journey fromthis place, and it waits for thy coming. He who has this Ringis richer than all the kings of the world. Come therefore andtake it, and the world's riches shall be thine.'

But the young Fisherman laughed. 'Love is better thanRiches,' he cried, 'and the little Mermaid loves me.

'Nay, but there is nothing better than Riches,' said theSoul. 'Love is better,' answered the young Fisherman, and heplunged into the deep, and the Soul went weeping away overthe marshes.

And after the third year was over, the Soul came down to theshore of the sea, and called to the young Fisherman, and herose out of the deep and said, 'Why dost thou call to me?'

And the Soul answered, 'Come nearer, that I may speak withthee, for I have seen marvellous things.'

So he came nearer, and couched in the shallow water, andleaned his head upon his hand and listened.

And the Soul said to him, 'In a city that I know of there isan inn that standeth by a river. I sat there with sailors whodrank of two different coloured wines, and ate bread made ofbarley, and little salt fish served in bay leaves withvinegar. And as we sat and made merry, there entered to us anold man bearing a leathern carpet and a lute that had twohorns of amber. And when he had laid out the carpet on thefloor, he struck with a quill on the wire strings of hislute, and a girl whose face was veiled ran in and began todance before us. Her face was veiled with a veil of gauze,but her feet were naked. Naked were her feet, and they movedover the carpet like little white pigeons. Never have I seenanything so marvellous, and the city in which she dances isbut a day's journey from this place.'

Now when the young Fisherman heard the words of his soul, heremembered that the little Mermaid had no feet and could notdance. And a great desire came over him, and he said tohimself, 'It is but a day's journey, and I can return to my

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love,' and he laughed, and stood up in the shallow water, andstrode towards the shore.

And when he had reached the dry shore he laughed again, andheld out his arms to his Soul. And his Soul gave a great cryof joy and ran to meet him, and entered into him, and theyoung Fisherman saw stretched before him upon the sand thatshadow of the body that is the body of the Soul.

And his Soul said to him, 'Let us not tarry, but get hence atonce, for the Sea-gods are jealous, and have monsters that dotheir bidding.'

So they made haste, and all that night they journeyed beneaththe moon, and all the next day they journeyed beneath thesun, and on the evening of the day they came to a city.

And the young Fisherman said to his Soul, 'Is this the cityin which she dances of whom thou did'st speak to me?'

And his Soul answered him, 'It is not this city, but another.Nevertheless let us enter in.'

So they entered in and passed through the streets, and asthey passed through the Street of the Jewellers the youngfisherman saw a fair silver cup set forth in a booth. And hisSoul said to him, 'Take that silver cup and hide it.'

So he took the cup and hid it in the fold of his tunic, andthey went hurriedly out of the city.

And after that they had gone a league from the city, theyoung Fisherman frowned, and flung the cup away, and said tohis Soul, 'Why did'st thou tell me to take this cup and hideit, for it was an evil thing to do?'

But his Soul answered him, 'Be at peace, be at peace.'

And on the evening of the second day they came to a city, andthe young Fisherman said to his Soul, 'Is this the city inwhich she dances of whom thou did'st speak to me?'

And his Soul answered him, 'It is not this city, but another.Nevertheless let us enter in.'

So they entered in and passed through the streets, and asthey passed through the Street of the Sellers of Sandals, theyoung Fisherman saw a child standing by a jar of water. Andhis Soul said to him, 'Smite that child.' So he smote the

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child till it wept, and when he had done this they wenthurriedly out of the city.

And after that they had gone a league from the city the youngFisherman grew wroth, and said to his Soul, 'Why did'st thoutell me to smite the child, for it was an evil thing to do?'

But his Soul answered him, 'Be at peace, be at peace.'

And on the evening of the third day they came to a city, andthe young Fisherman said to his Soul, 'Is this the city inwhich she dances of whom thou did'st speak to me?'

And his Soul answered him, 'It may be that it is this city,therefore let us enter in.'

So they entered in and passed through the streets, butnowhere could the young Fisherman find the river or the innthat stood by its side. And the people of the city lookedcuriously at him, and he grew afraid and said to his Soul,'Let us go hence, for she who dances with white feet is nothere.'

But his Soul answered, 'Nay, but let us tarry, for the nightis dark and there will be robbers on the way.'

So he sat him down in the market-place and rested, and aftera time there went by a hooded merchant who had a cloak ofcloth of Tartary, and bare a lantern of pierced horn at theend of a jointed reed. And the merchant said to him, 'Whydost thou sit in the market-place, seeing that the booths areclosed and the bales corded?'

And the young Fisherman answered him, 'I can find no inn inthis city, nor have I any kinsman who might give me shelter.'

'Are we not all kinsmen?' said the merchant. 'And did not oneGod make us? Therefore come with me, for I have a guest-chamber.'

So the young Fisherman rose up and followed the merchant tohis house. And when he had passed through a garden ofpomegranates and entered into the house, the merchant broughthim rose-water in a copper dish that he might wash his hands,and ripe melons that he might quench his thirst, and set abowl of rice and a piece of roasted kid before him.

And after that he had finished, the merchant led him to theguest-chamber, bade him sleep and be at rest. And the young

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Fisherman gave him thanks, and kissed the ring that was onhis hand, and flung himself down on the carpets of dyedgoat's-hair. And when he had covered himself with a coveringof black lambs-wool he fell asleep.

And three hours before dawn, and while it was still night,his Soul waked him, and said to him, 'Rise up and go to theroom of the merchant, even to the room in which he sleepeth,and slay him, and take from him his gold, for we have need ofit.'

And the young Fisherman rose up and crept towards the room ofthe merchant, and over the feet of the merchant there waslying a curved sword, and the tray by the side of themerchant held nine purses of gold. And he reached out hishand and touched the sword, and when he touched it themerchant started and awoke, and leaping up seized himself thesword and cried to the young Fisherman, 'Dost thou returnevil for good, and pay with the shedding of blood for thekindness that I have shown thee?'

And his Soul said to the young Fisherman, 'Strike him,' andhe struck him so that he swooned, and he seized then the ninepurses of gold, and fled hastily through the garden ofpomegranates, and set his face to the star that is the starof morning.

And when they had gone a league from the city, the youngFisherman beat his breast, and said to his Soul, 'Why didstthou bid me slay the merchant and take his gold? Surely thouart evil.'

But his Soul answered him, 'Be at peace, be at peace.'

'Nay,' cried the young Fisherman, 'I may not be at peace, forall that thou hast made me to do I hate. Thee also I hate,and I bid thee tell me wherefore thou hast wrought with me inthis wise.'

And his Soul answered him, 'When thou didst send me forthinto the world thou gavest me no heart, so I learned to doall these things and love them.'

'What sayest thou?' murmured the young Fisherman.

'Thou knowest,' answered his Soul, 'thou knowest it well.Hast thou forgotten that thou gavest me no heart? I trow not.And so trouble not thyself nor me, but be at peace, for there

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is no pain that thou shalt not give away, nor any pleasurethat thou shalt not receive.'

And when the young Fisherman heard these words he trembledand said to his Soul, 'Nay, but thou art evil, and hast mademe forget my love, and hast tempted me with temptations, andhast set my feet in the ways of sin.' And his Soul answeredhim, 'Thou hast not forgotten that when thou didst send meforth into the world thou gavest me no heart. Come, let us goto another city, and make merry, for we have nine purses ofgold.'

But the young Fisherman took the nine purses of gold, andflung them down, and trampled on them.

'Nay,' he cried, 'but I will have nought to do with thee, norwill I journey with thee anywhere, but even as I sent theeaway before, so will I send thee away now, for thou hastwrought me no good.' And he turned his back to the moon, andwith the little knife that had the handle of green viper'sskin he strove to cut from his feet that shadow of the bodywhich is the body of the Soul.

Yet his Soul stirred not from him, nor paid heed to hiscommand, but said to him, 'The spell that the Witch told theeavails thee no more, for I may not leave thee, nor mayestthou drive me forth. Once in his life may a man send his Soulaway, but he who receiveth back his Soul must keep it withhim for ever, and this is his punishment and his reward.'

And the young Fisherman grew pale and clenched his hands andcried, 'She was a false Witch in that she told me not that.'

'Nay,' answered his Soul, 'but she was true to Him sheworships, and whose servant she will be ever.'

And when the young Fisherman knew that he could no longer getrid of his Soul, and that it was an evil Soul and would abidewith him always, he fell upon the ground weeping bitterly.

And when it was day the young Fisherman rose up and said tohis Soul, 'I will bind my hands that I may not do thybidding, and close my lips that I may not speak thy words,and I will return to the place where she whom I love has herdwelling. Even to the sea will I return, and to the littlebay where she is wont to sing, and I will call to her andtell her the evil I have done and the evil thou hast wroughton me.'

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And his Soul tempted him and said, 'Who is thy love that thoushould'st return to her? The world has many fairer than sheis. There are the dancing-girls of Samaris who dance in themanner of all kinds of birds and beasts. Their feet arepainted with henna, and in their hands they have littlecopper bells. They laugh while they dance, and their laughteris as clear as the laughter of water. Come with me and I willshow them to thee. For what is this trouble of thine aboutthe things of sin? Is that which is pleasant to eat not madefor the eater? Is there poison in that which is sweet todrink? Trouble not thyself, but come with me to another city.There is a little city hard by in which there is a garden oftulip-trees. And there dwell in this comely garden whitepeacocks and peacocks that have blue breasts. Their tailswhen they spread them to the sun are like disks of ivory andlike gilt disks. And she who feeds them dances for theirpleasure, and sometimes she dances on her hands and at othertimes she dances with her feet. Her eyes are coloured withstibium, and her nostrils are shaped like the wings of aswallow. From a hook in one of her nostrils hangs a flowerthat is carved out of a pearl. She laughs while she dances,and the silver rings that are about her ankles tinkle likebells of silver. And so trouble not thyself any more, butcome with me to this city.'

But the young Fisherman answered not his Soul, but closed hislips with the seal of silence and with a tight cord bound hishands, and journeyed back to the place from which he hadcome, even to the little bay where his love had been wont tosing. And ever did his Soul tempt him by the way, but he madeit no answer, nor would he do any of the wickedness that itsought to make him to do, so great was the power of the lovethat was within him.

And when he had reached the shore of the sea, he loosed thecord from his hands, and took the seal of silence from hislips, and called to the little Mermaid. But she came not tohis call, though he called to her all day long and besoughther.

And his Soul mocked him and said, 'Surely thou hast butlittle joy out of thy love. Thou art as one who in time ofdearth pours water into a broken vessel. Thou givest awaywhat thou hast, and nought is given to thee in return. Itwere better for thee to come with me, for I know where theValley of Pleasure lies, and what things are wrought there.'

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But the young Fisherman answered not his Soul, but in a cleftof the rock he built himself a house of wattles, and abodethere for the space of a year. And every morning he called tothe Mermaid, and every noon he called to her again and atnight-time he spake her name. Yet never did she rise out ofthe sea to meet him, nor in any place of the sea could hefind her, though he sought for her in the caves and in thegreen water, in the pools of the tide and in the wells thatare at the bottom of the deep.

And ever did his Soul tempt him with evil, and whisper ofterrible things. Yet did it not prevail against him, so greatwas the power of his love.

And after the year was over, the Soul thought within himself,'I have tempted my master with evil, and his love is strongerthan I am. I will tempt him now with good, and it may be thathe will come with me.'

So he spake to the young Fisherman and said, 'I have toldthee of the joy of the world, and thou hast turned a deaf earto me. Suffer me now to tell thee of the world's pain, and itmay be that thou wilt hearken. For of a truth, pain is theLord of this world, nor is there anyone who escapes from itsnet. There be some who lack raiment, and others who lackbread. There be widows who sit in purple, and widows who sitin rags. To and fro over the fens go the lepers, and they arecruel to each other. The beggars go up and down on thehighways, and their wallets are empty. Through the streets ofthe cities walks Famine, and the Plague sits at their gates.Come, let us go forth and mend these things, and make themnot to be. Wherefore should'st thou tarry here calling to thylove, seeing she comes not to thy call? And what is love,that thou should'st set this high store upon it?'

But the young Fisherman answered it nought, so great was thepower of his love. And every morning he called to theMermaid, and every noon he called to her again, and at night-time he spake her name. Yet never did she rise out of the seato meet him, nor in any place of the sea could he find her,though he sought for her in the rivers of the sea, and in thevalleys that are under the waves, in the sea that the nightmakes purple, and in the sea that the dawn leaves grey.

And after the second year was over, the Soul said to theyoung Fisherman at night-time, and as he sat in the wattledhouse alone, 'Lo! now I have tempted thee with evil, and Ihave tempted thee with good, and thy love is stronger than I

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am. Wherefore will I tempt thee no longer, but I pray thee tosuffer me to enter thy heart, that I may be one with theeeven as before.'

'Surely thou mayest enter,' said the young Fisherman, 'for inthe days when with no heart thou didst go through the worldthou must have much suffered.'

'Alas!' cried his Soul, 'I can find no place of entrance, socompassed about with love is this heart of thine.'

'Yet I would that I could help thee,' said the youngFisherman.

And as he spake there came a great cry of mourning from thesea, even the cry that men hear when one of the Sea-folk isdead. And the young Fisherman leapt up, and left his wattledhouse, and ran down to the shore. And the black waves camehurrying to the shore, bearing with them a burden that waswhiter than silver. White as the surf it was, and like aflower it tossed on the waves. And the surf took it from thewaves, and the foam took it from the surf, and the shorereceived it, and lying at his feet the young Fisherman sawthe body of the little Mermaid. Dead at his feet it waslying.

Weeping as one smitten with pain he flung himself down besideit, and he kissed the cold red of the mouth, and toyed withthe wet amber of the hair. He flung himself down beside it onthe sand, weeping as one trembling with joy, and in his brownarms he held it to his breast. Cold were the lips, yet hekissed them. Salt was the honey of the hair, yet he tasted itwith a bitter joy. He kissed the closed eyelids, and the wildspray that lay upon their cups was less salt than his tears.

And to the dead thing he made confession. Into the shells ofits ears he poured the harsh wine of his tale. He put thelittle hands round his neck, and with his fingers he touchedthe thin reed of the throat. Bitter, bitter was his joy, andfull of strange gladness was his pain.

The black sea came nearer, and the white foam moaned like aleper. With white claws of foam the sea grabbled at theshore. From the palace of the Sea-King came the cry ofmourning again, and far out upon the sea the great Tritonsblew hoarsely upon their horns.

'Flee away, said his Soul, 'for ever doth the sea comenigher, and if thou tarriest it will slay thee. Flee away,

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for I am afraid, seeing that thy heart is closed against meby reason of the greatness of thy love. Flee away to a placeof safety. Surely thou wilt not send me without a heart intoanother world?'

But the young Fisherman listened not to his Soul, but calledon the little Mermaid and said, 'Love is better than wisdom,and more precious than riches, and fairer than the feet ofthe daughters of men. The fires cannot destroy it, nor canthe waters quench it. I called on thee at dawn, and thoudidst not come to my call. The moon heard thy name, yet hadstthou no heed of me. For evilly had I left thee, and to my ownhurt had I wandered away. Yet ever did thy love abide withme, and ever was it strong, nor did aught prevail against it,though I have looked upon evil and looked upon good. And nowthat thou art dead, surely I will die with thee also.'

And his Soul besought him to depart, but he would not, sogreat was his love. And the sea came nearer, and sought tocover him with its waves, and when he knew that the end wasat hand he kissed with mad lips the cold lips of the Mermaidand the heart that was within him brake. And as through thefulness of his love his heart did break, the Soul found anentrance and entered in, and was one with him even as before.And the sea covered the young Fisherman with its waves.

And in the morning the Priest went forth to bless the sea,for it had been troubled. And with him went the monks and themusicians, and the candle-bearers, and the swingers ofcensers, and a great company.

And when the Priest reached the shore he saw the youngFisherman lying drowned in the surf, and clasped in his armswas the body of the little Mermaid. And he drew backfrowning, and having made the sign of the cross, he criedaloud and said, 'I will not bless the sea nor anything thatis in it. Accursed be the Sea-folk, and accursed be all theywho traffic with them. And as for him who for love's sakeforsook God, and so lieth here with his leman slain by God'sjudgment, take up his body and the body of his leman, andbury them in the corner of the Field of the Fullers, and setno mark above them, nor sign of any kind, that none may knowthe place of their resting. For accursed were they in theirlives, and accursed shall they be in their deaths also.'

And the people did as he commanded them, and in the corner ofthe Field of the Fullers, where no sweet herbs grew, they duga deep pit, and laid the dead things within it.

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And when the third year was over, and on a day that was aholy day, the Priest went up to the chapel, that he mightshow to the people the wounds of the Lord, and speak to themabout the wrath of God.

And when he had robed himself with his robes, and entered inand bowed himself before the altar, he saw that the altar wascovered with strange flowers that never had he seen before.Strange were they to look at, and of curious beauty, andtheir beauty troubled him, and their odour was sweet in hisnostrils. And he felt glad, and understood not why he wasglad.

And after that he had opened the tabernacle, and incensed themonstrance that was in it, and shown the fair wafer to thepeople, and hid it again behind the veil of veils, he beganto speak to the people, desiring to speak to them of thewrath of God. But the beauty of the white flowers troubledhim, and their odour was sweet in his nostrils, and therecame another word into his lips, and he spake not of thewrath of God, but of the God whose name is Love. And why heso spake, he knew not.

And when he had finished his word the people wept, and thePriest went back to the sacristy, and his eyes were full oftears. And the deacons came in and began to unrobe him, andtook from him the alb and the girdle, the maniple and thestole. And he stood as one in a dream.

And after that they had unrobed him, he looked at them andsaid, 'What are the flowers that stand on the altar, andwhence do they come?'

And they answered him, 'What flowers they are we cannot tell,but they come from the corner of the Fullers' Field.' And thePriest trembled, and returned to his own house and prayed.

And in the morning, while it was still dawn, he went forthwith the monks and the musicians, and the candle-bearers andthe swingers of censers, and a great company, and came to theshore of the sea, and blessed the sea, and all the wildthings that are in it. The Fauns also he blessed, and thelittle things that dance in the woodland, and the bright-eyedthings that peer through the leaves. All the things in God'sworld he blessed, and the people were filled with joy andwonder. Yet never again in the corner of the Fullers' Fieldgrew flowers of any kind, but the field remained barren even

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as before. Nor came the Sea-folk into the bay as they hadbeen wont to do, for they went to another part of the sea.

THE END

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